Awakening Quake
by Misha
Summary: After the events of San Juan, Coulson is forced to reveal himself to get Skye the help she needs dealing with her powers.
1. Chapter 1: Revelations

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

**Disclaimer- I own none of it. I wish I did, but I don't. I am not making money off of this, so please don't sue me. **

**Author's Notes- I was inspired to write another Avengers/Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D fanfic. This one is in my own universe, it spins off after the events of episode 2x10. It deals with Skye's new powers and her potential future as an Avenger (since in the comics, Quake is an Avenger at one point). I fell in love with the pairing of Steve/Skye in ozhawk's "Truth in a Bottle" so that's what I'm going with here. **

**Pairing- Skye/Steve Rogers (eventually). Maybe some other pairings. **

**Rating- T/PG-13**

**Spoilers- Up to "Captain America: Winter Soldier" and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 2x10. **

**Summery- After the events of San Juan, Coulson is forced to reveal himself to get Skye the help she needs dealing with her powers.**

**Chapter One: Revelation**

Phil Coulson stared at the phone. He didn't want to make this call. Enough time had gone by that telling the Avengers he was still alive… Well, it would be ugly.

He'd always intended to do it eventually, but the longer it went on, the harder it was to make that call. The time had passed where he could easily explain the decision not to tell them and left to his own devices, he had to admit he might never tell them. But… Things had changed.

Skye… She needed help. Help that she couldn't get from the Team. They weren't equipped to deal with the kind of changes that she was going through, but the Avengers were.

The Avengers had experience dealing with super powers, as well as far superior resources. Then there was Thor, who was more familiar with the Kree artefacts than anyone remaining in S.H.I.E.L.D. There was no arguing that calling them was the right thing to do for Skye and that was why Coulson was doing it.

He cared for all his team, but Skye was different. She was the daughter he had never had. From the beginning he'd felt a strong bond towards her and he would do anything to keep her safe and really, making a phone call wasn't much at all.

With that in mine, he picked up the phone and dialled the unlisted number he had been given years previously.

"Hello?" A soft feminine voice said on the other end.

"Hello, Pepper, its Phil Coulson."  
**

"He was lying." Tony said flatly. "It wasn't Agent Coulson."

Tony didn't want to believe what Pepper was telling him. Coulson's death had been an emotional moment, one that filled him with deep regret and it was a lie?

"Tony, he answered every question I had." Pepper told him gently. "And he told me to confirm with Maria."

"Damn Fury." Tony cursed.

"Coulson did die." Pepper said quietly. "Apparently Fury used some new protocol to bring him back."

"And every one wonders why S.H.I.E.L.D went up in flames." Tony muttered.

"Actually, apparently Coulson is trying to revive S.H.I. ." Pepper told him. "He has a small team of agents he trusts and their working on rebuilding. That's why he called."

"He wants money?" Tony asked. But it didn't match up with his memories of Phil Coulson. They weren't close, but Tony had always thought of the other man as a good man who was truly trying to do a good thing. He wouldn't keep a secret for so long and then come out of the woodwork just because he needed money.

"No," Pepper told him, giving him a reproachful look, "one of the members of his team apparently needs help. The kind of help that Avengers are more equipped to provide."

"I guess we should go talk to the others then," Tony said, still not sure how he felt about all of this.

Since his California house had been blown up, he had moved permanently into the restored Stark Tower and in the months since S.H.I.E.L.D had collapsed, the other Avengers had joined him. They had even jokingly renamed it the Avengers tower. S.H.I.E.L.D might no longer be holding them together, but it didn't need to. They were a team.  
**

"So Coulson is alive." Bruce said slowly. "And he wants what from us?"

"There's a girl," Pepper explained, "She's one of his team, but I think she's more to him than that. He sounded very protective when he talked about her, almost paternal. Anyway, apparently the girl came in contact with a Kree device and emerged with new powers. Powers that she can't control."

Thor looked disturbed at the revelation. "The Kree devices should not be treated lightly. Son of Coul is lucky that there was not widespread carnage."

"Actually, apparently he lost a member of his team in the fallout." Pepper said softly. "It's been a trying time for all of them. The girl, Skye, her powers are Earth-based, she can cause tremors. According to Phil, she has no idea how to control them and he doesn't know how to help her."

"So he called us after two years of letting us all think he was dead." Steve said in disgust.

"I knew he was alive." Natasha admitted.

They all turned to stare at her.

"When S.H.I.E.L.D came down, Fury let it slip." She told them. "So I haven't known for that long. I figured Coulson had his reasons and I can understand that. So I kept quiet."

Steve looked at Clint and saw that the other man was having a hard time keeping an impassive face. Apparently Natasha hadn't kept it entirely to herself, but then that could be expected of the couple.

"If the girl needs out help, we have to give it to her." Steve said after a moment. He was angry at being lied to, but at the same time he couldn't turn his back on someone who was in trouble.

"I agree." Bruce chimed in and the others echoed their agreement.

"I'll call Phil back and tell him you want to meet him." Pepper said. She wasn't an official member of the Avengers, but where Tony went, she went, and they all trusted her judgement, plus Coulson had reached out to her for a reason and it made sense to continue using her as a mediator. "Who wants to be part of the welcoming party?"

"I can go." Sam volunteered. When Tony had invited Steve to move into the Tower, Steve had asked if Sam could come to, and the answer had been yes and like that, the other man had joined the Avengers. "I know what it's like to be the new kid on the block."

"I'll go too." Steve volunteered.

"Since I know how much it sucks to join a boys club, I'll tag along and make sure she knows she's not totally alone." Natasha added.

"That's three, I think that's enough." Tony said after a moment. "Anyone else want to go? I'm perfectly happy to let someone else deal with Coulson for now."

Steve was kind of relieved to know that he wasn't the only one angry.

No one else spoke up, so Tony nodded. "Ok, tomorrow you guys go meet Coulson and bring back this girl."


	2. Chapter 2: Introductions and Goodbyes

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One. _

**Chapter Two: Introductions and Goodbyes**

"I guess you want an explanation." Coulson said awkwardly, looking at the three people standing in his office.

"No." Steve said flatly.

Coulson couldn't stop the pang he felt at seeing his idol so disappointed at him.

"I've explained about T.A.H.I.T.I." Natasha said calmly.

"You knew?" Coulson asked in surprise. Though if anyone was going to be in on the secret, it would be Natasha. She was one of Fury's most trusted assets.

"Only after the fact," she told him, "but I eventually got the whole story out of Fury and well, I know you Phil."

They had worked together for years. Actually, he and Barton had been quite close as well.

"I told Clint." Natasha added. "He was a little angrier than I was, but in the end I think he understood." Except he hadn't chosen to come to the meeting, so Coulson guessed he was a little angrier than Natasha was letting on.

"Tell us about the girl." Steve said after a moment, getting the conversation back on track.

"Her name is Skye." Coulson began. "She was an orphan, grew up in the system. She joined the Rising Tide and came to my attention that way, but she has since become one of my most trusted team members."

He and Skye had agreed that they would tell the Avengers everything. There had been enough secrets and lies already.

"So why does she need help?" Sam Wilson asked. Since he and Coulson hadn't been introduced before his 'death', he was the one who had no reason to be angry or disappointed.

Coulson explained about Skye's 0-8-4 status and the circumstances of her birth and what they had learnt about her parents. He explained in detail about T.A.H.I.T.I and how the protocol had had no negative affect on Skye and why and then he explained what happened in San Juan.

"She came out of the temple changed," he explained, "she can set off earthquakes, sometimes without even trying."

"And you want us to help her work with her powers?" Natasha asked.

"Yes." Coulson confirmed. "I have no practical experience with this kind of event. I suspect Thor might have more knowledge, but also…" He paused. This was the hard part. "Since San Juan, some of the team members have… They've found it hard to be around Skye." He admitted.

Mack was visibly uncomfortable, quite possibly because of his own experiences in the temple, and tended to avoid Skye's company. Hunter was also obviously uneasy and Bobbi was trying her hardest to hide her discomfort. Even May was less comfortable with Skye now, though partially because she worried that Skye was a safety risk to them all.

No one knew what went through Fitz's mind these days, though he was getting better, but he didn't seem noticeably perturbed by Skye's powers. Perhaps his own experiences had made him more understanding and Simmons was fanatically loyal, though Phil knew she was driving Skye a little crazy by constantly wanting to examine her.

"You want us to take her with us." Steve stated. "Does she know?"

"She does." Phil confirmed. Skye had been noticeably withdrawn the last few weeks as she registered the team's reaction. He knew that she had never felt like she'd belonged anywhere, something that had changed when she'd joined his team and he hated seeing the rejection in her eyes. She had told him what her father had said to her and Phil was desperate to make sure Cal's words didn't come true.

Maybe Skye didn't belong with his team, but there were people who understood her and who would help her.

"Let's meet her." Natasha told him. "And then we'll make a decision."

Phil nodded and opened his office door. He asked May to go get Skye.

0

* * *

Skye was nervous. Of course she was, she was about to meet the Avengers. Well, some of them.

And if this meeting well… Well, Skye didn't even want to think that far ahead.

"Skye, Coulson's ready for you." May told her.

Skye nodded and followed her former trainer. Since San Juan, May had been keeping a cautious distance. She was nicer about it than some of the others, but their training sessions had come to an abrupt end.

Skye took a deep breath and entered Coulson's office. Standing there were Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff.

"You must be Skye," Steve said politely, sticking out his hand.

Skye took it, a little in awe that she was touching Captain America. His handshake was warm and firm and his smile was friendly, even a little reassuring.

Sam also shook her hand, but Natasha made no such overture, but the other woman did give Skye a friendly smile, so she decided it was nothing personal.

"Coulson says you're a computer genius," Natasha said immediately. "That will come in handy, though be prepared for Stark to harass you constantly and assume he knows more."

Skye just laughed. "I'm pretty confident in my skills." Though Tony Stark was a legend and a genius and she wasn't sure how she matched up to him.

"You'll need to be to deal with Tony," Natasha told her, "it's not a man-woman thing, he just thinks he's smarter than anyone else on the planet. It's amazing his ego even fits in the tower."

That had pretty much summed up everything that Skye had ever heard about Tony Stark, so she wasn't surprised, though she hadn't expected the Black Widow to be so open or so friendly.

"Coulson says you'd like help learning to use your powers," Steve said after a moment, "is that true?"

"Yes." Skye said instantly.

The three exchanged a look.

"We can give you that help and it sounds like you have some skills that will be pretty handy to have around," Natasha said after a moment. She gave Coulson a long look. "At this moment, the Avengers have no interest in working with S.H.I.E.L.D though." She turned her attention to Skye. "So if you come with us, then you're leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. and agreeing to work with us."

Skye gulped. Coulson's team was the first family she'd ever had. The first place she'd ever belonged, how could she just abandon that? But at the same time, how could she stay with things the way they were?

Coulson met her eyes and gave a sad nod.

"So just like that, I can come with you?" Skye asked. "Don't you have to consult the rest of the team?"

"They left the decision up to us." Steve told her. "Right now it's a preliminary offer, you come back with us and we'll work on helping you with your powers and we'll go from there and see if you want to join us."

Skye nodded. She hadn't expected an instant invitation to join the Avengers, but this sounded fair and even if it didn't work out, hopefully she'd be able to control her powers and then… Well, maybe she could come back to Coulson and the team.

"I should get my stuff." She said finally. "And say goodbye to the others."

0

* * *

"Keep in touch." Jemma instructed as she hugged Skye goodbye.

"I will." Skye promised, though she had no idea if she'd be able to keep that promise.

This was one of the hardest goodbyes. Jemma was the first real girlfriend she'd ever had.

She'd already said goodbye to the others, except Coulson. There had been no real need for goodbyes with the newer members of the team and with Fitz, it had been weird, but they had just hugged it out.

With May it had been awkward, but sweet as well and Skye knew May wished her well, it was just that her training had made her wary of anyone who could be a threat and right now, that was Skye.

Jemma was the emotional goodbye though. But not as hard as the last one would be.

After Jemma had departed back towards her lab. Skye was suddenly alone with Coulson. The three Avengers were giving them some privacy.

"AC…" Skye began.

"Its ok," he told her, "I'm so proud of you Skye. So proud of the way you've dealt with every challenge and I know that you're going to show the Avengers what you're made of. This good be exactly what you need."

"I wouldn't be here with you," she told him, "you… You were the first person to really believe in me."

He just nodded, but she could see the tears in her eyes.

Skye couldn't stop herself and she crossed the room and gave him a hug. He seemed startled for a moment, but then hugged her back.

"Take care of yourself." He told her. "And Skye, if… If you are every unhappy or if you're in danger, I'm always here."

Skye nodded as she released him. Then she grabbed her lone duffle bag and headed towards the door of Coulson's office, ready to start the next chapter of her journey.


	3. Chapter 3: Meet the Avengers

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Part One._

_A.N- Natasha may be uncharacteristically welcoming here, but I've decided that she feels a kinship with Skye and remember Coulson told her the whole ugly story of Skye's background. _

**Chapter Three: Meet the Avengers**

The flight to New York was actually pretty relaxed and Skye found herself liking Steve, Sam and Natasha.

Natasha was the one that surprised her the most, she was actually pretty funny and pretty friendly.

Sam was pretty friendly, but he was also the one flying the plane, so Skye didn't really get a chance to know him well. He did assure her that the Avengers were all very welcoming, reminding her that he was the new kid on the block.

As for Steve… He was very polite and friendly, though a bit reserved. She wasn't sure if it was her in particular or just part of his personality.

When they arrived at the Tower, everyone was waiting for her, which was definitely a little intimidating.

"You must be Skye." Pepper Potts said, stepping forward. "It's so nice to meet you. We'll let you meet everyone and then I'll show you your quarters."

Natasha had told her that Pepper, while not an Avenger, was the one who ran things at Tower. She was also the only one who could keep Tony in line.

The man himself stepped forward next. "You're tiny and how old are you? 16? Is S.H.I.E.L.D recruiting high schoolers now?"

"Well, probably," Skye told him, "but I'm 26."

"And according to Coulson, she's a computer genius." Sam spoke up. "Apparently she hacked her way into a position with S.H.I.E.L.D."

Tony's eyebrow went up and he looked intrigued. "Is that so? Well, we'll have to see what you're capable of."

"Let her settle in before you put her to work." Pepper scolded.

After that, everyone else introduced themselves. Skye was surprised by how friendly everyone was. Jane Foster and Bruce Banner invited her to visit their labs once she was settled in and see what they were working on. The only person who was reserved was Clint Barton. He shook her hand politely, but Skye got the impression that he was assessing her and that he hadn't formed an opinion yet. It was strange that he was so reserved and Natasha so friendly.

After everyone had had a chance to hello, Pepper smiled at her. "Do you want to go get settled in?"  
"Yes, please." Skye said politely.

"JARVIS?" Pepper said, appearing to talk to the wall.

"Yes, Miss Potts?"

Skye took an instinctive step back at the sound of the disembodied voice, even though Steve and Natasha had warned her. She was actually pretty intrigued by the idea of a household run entirely by AI, but she figured it would be a no-no to try and hack into the system. At least on her first day.

"Are Skye's quarters set up?"

"Yes." JARVIS answered. "And her vital information has been added to the system."

"Perfect." Pepper said, she smiled at Skye. "JARVIS now has you on file. So you will access to all non-restricted areas and you're included in the security and protection system."

"Oh." Skye said. Well, that was good, wasn't it?

"I'll show you to your floor." Pepper told her with a smile.

"My floor?" Skye asked in confusion. Pepper had obviously meant room.

She could see Darcy and Jane both grinning.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "This Tower has 85 floors and originally it was intended to at least be partially open to the public, but after everything that has happened, that seemed like a bad idea, so while Stark Industries does have offices in the lower floors, the rest of the building is completely private and many of the floors have been turned into private apartments. 2 apartments per floor."

Definitely a far cry from living in her van, Skye thought to herself as she followed Pepper to the elevator.

Pepper gave JARVIS instructions and a moment later the elevator stopped and they got out.

"This is all mine," Skye said, looking around the huge apartment.

"It's insane, isn't it?" Pepper said with a smile. "There are three bedrooms. You are allowed to have guests, but obviously they have to be screened properly and each bedroom has a private bath. There's a kitchen and dining area, a living room and a private office space."

"Are all the apartments like this?" Skye asked in amazement.

"For the most part," Pepper confirmed, "they've all been modified a bit for their occupants. If you have any specific needs or requests, Tony will be happy to accommodate them. For example Bruce's apartment is big enough to accommodate the Hulk and everything is reinforced, just in case." Pepper rolled her eyes. "You should see the Penthouse. It's ridiculous." Pepper smiled. "Actually, you will see it. On Saturday. I have a weekly morning brunch for all the women in the tower and I expect to see you there."

"Ok." Skye agreed. That sounded nice actually. "So who else lives on this floor?"

"Steve." Pepper told her. "His apartment is across the hall and I'm sure he'd be happy to help if you need anything. Generally, as a rule, we stay out of each other's private spaces unless specifically invited. Private quarters, Tony's labs and the floors occupied by Stark Industries, are the only floors off-limits and really if you want to go see what SI is doing, go ahead just give me a head's up first. The rest of the tower is set up for the Avengers' personal use and once you're settled in, I'll give you a tour."

"Do we eat in our apartment?" Skye asked, referring to the fully stocked kitchen. She wasn't a great cook. She could fend for herself, obviously, but years of living in her van hadn't provided the opportunity to hone her culinary skills.

"Not usually," Pepper told her, "we generally all eat together. There are 2 that are dedicated common areas. You can eat here, if you like, but you're welcome to join everyone else as well. JARVIS will alert you when meals are being served. However, most people like being able to grab a snack or breakfast on their own. Tony employs a staff to cater to everyone's needs, so if you need groceries, you just have to tell JARVIS and he'll make sure it's provided."

"This is going to take some getting used to." Skye admitted. Especially the AI who ran everything. Ok, that part was actually pretty awesome and Skye was dying to know how Tony had come up with the concept, but she thought it would probably take her a while to bring herself to ask.

"I can understand that," Pepper said, she frowned as she noticed Skye's bag. "Is that all you brought with you?"

"I've learnt to travel light." Skye said with a shrug, feeling a little self-conscious about her lack of belongings.

Pepper was quiet, obviously ready to offer to buy Skye new things, but then thought of it better. "If you need anything, just have JARVIS ring me." She said finally.

Skye nodded and saw her out, glad she hadn't pushed about Skye's belongings. It just highlighted Skye's outsider status and the fact that she had never fit in anywhere. Here she was at 26, starting over again. Everyone was friendly, but Skye knew she was still on probation. She didn't belong here yet, she had to prove herself and there was still a good chance that she wouldn't fit in here either and that once again, she'd have to move on.

* * *

"Do you have a problem with Skye?" Natasha asked Clint when they were alone. She had noticed Clint's aloofness when he'd be introduced to the younger woman and while Clint wasn't usually super chatty, he was generally friendly. Especially where gorgeous women were considered. While they were committed to each other, they both liked to flirt and the fact that Clint had resisted, well it set off warning bells.

"Not her exactly." Clint told her.

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We don't know the girl." Clint told her. "All we know is that suddenly Phil's alive and this girl desperately needs protection only the Avengers can give? After we've cut ties with Fury and what remains of S.H.I.E.L.D and vowed to go out on our own? Doesn't it sound a little suspicious."

"This is Phil, not Fury." Natasha reminded him. "While Fury might try and manipulate us, I don't see Phil doing the same."

"He let us think he was dead for two years." Clint pointed out.

Natasha sighed. She knew Clint was taking it personally, even if he had pretended to be unaffected. He and Coulson has been close once upon a time. She had been diplomatic about it, she had spent enough years as a spy and had learnt to take nothing personally, but not everyone was as hard as she was.

"My gut says to trust the girl." She told Clint finally.

He paused. They had both learnt over the years to rely on their gut instincts.

"That's not saying she won't bring trouble," Natasha cautioned, "apparently her father's a piece of work and he's still out there, but I think she is what she says she is: a scared girl who suddenly came into powers she didn't understand."

"You're just happy to have another woman around," Clint joked and Natasha knew that was his way of agreeing to give Skye an honest chance. "One who will eventually go out in the field."

"It'll be nice to have someone else to bitch about you bozos with." Natasha said with a grin. "Phil said that she was being trained first by Grant Ward and then Melinda May, so she's probably tougher than she looks and I thought you and I might have a go at training her."

"I thought you liked the girl." Clint teased.

"Why else would I offer to make sure she learns from the best?" Natasha told him.

She had immediately liked Skye, but she'd also recognized that the other woman was lost and a bit broken. She needed something and the Avengers could give it to her. Natasha knew what it was like to feel alone and lost and that immediately made her feel a kinship with Skye. Part of that kinship meant making sure the other woman was prepared to face anything that the world might throw at her, because in the world they lived in, you never knew what that might be.

"Besides who else could train her?" Natasha pointed out. "Tony and Sam are too dependent on tech, I think we can agree Bruce is out. I can't see Thor giving combat lessons to a Miguradian female. So that leaves us and Steve and I can't see Steve being comfortable with it either."

"You mean those 1940s manners might get in the way of him combat training a woman?" Clint said with a laugh. "You're probably right. So, she's stuck with us, but then again if she trained with Ward, then she's dealt with worse."

Clint had never gotten along with the cocky young agent and had been pretty smug when he'd found out Ward was HYDRA.

"Did I mention that Coulson said that Ward has a bit of a sick obsession with Skye?" Natasha told him, knowing that this would be exactly what Clint needed to come around on the subject of Skye. "Coulson worries that he's going to try and come for her again, apparently he's already kidnapped her twice."

Clint's eyes narrowed and his lip was a thin, angry line. "Well, he'll have to get through all of us first." He declared. "And believe me, I'd love to rumble with Grant Ward."

Natasha hid a grin. That was exactly the reaction she had been hoping to provoke. No, Clint would come around to Skye in no time, especially if it meant he got to bring down Grant Ward in the process.


	4. Chapter 4: Dinner Time Chat

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Part One._

_A.N- Clint seems to warm up fast here. He still has some reservations, but he trusts Natasha's gut and he also really hates Ward, so that makes him warm up to Skye fast. _

**Chapter Four: Dinner Time Chat**

"Miss Skye, Mr. Stark has ordered food and it will be served in approximately 5 minutes." JARVIS informed Skye.

She nodded and closed her lap top. She didn't really have anything fancy to wear, so she couldn't dress for dinner. So she just ran to the bathroom and brushed her and put on some lip gloss and then exited her apartment.

Steve was coming out of his apartment at the same time.

"Hi." She said nervously.

"Hi." He greeted, looking surprised. "Tony put you on this floor?"

Skye nodded. "Is that ok?"

He paused. "It's fine," he said after a moment, "I just… I thought they were saving it for someone."

Skye was curious, but forced herself not to pry. "Well, I can always move later." She offered.

"No, it's fine." Steve assured her as they stepped into the elevator. "You settling in ok?"

"Yeah." Skye said, "though the apartment… It's a lot bigger than I'm used to."

"Me too." Steve agreed. "It feels like a waste for one person when you could comfortable fit a whole family in there."

He made his comment just as the elevator doors opened and Clint and Natasha joined them.

"Don't let Tony hear you say that," Natasha warned, "then he'll start planning for baby Avengers. I think he plans for us all to live her forever."

Everyone laughed.

"Hey, I personally think it's a pretty sweet set-up." Clint argued, he turned to Skye. "Have you had the full tour yet?"

"No." She said softly, surprised by his change in attitude. Maybe something else had been on his mind earlier.

"This place is like a luxury resort." Clint told her. "There's a pool in one of the lower levels and it has a hot tub and a sauna. Two full gyms and various other training areas. Basically if you could ask for it, Stark thought to provide it."

Skye could believe it. Though she wondered for the need for the hot tub in the pool area, given the giant whirlpool in her bathroom. But maybe the Avengers liked to hang out and drink in the hot tub? That was a fascinating image.

"We have girl's night down there sometimes." Natasha told her, guessing her thoughts. "Pepper shuts off all the cameras first and makes JARVIS keep the men out."

Skye laughed, particularly at Clint's expression. Just then the elevator stopped and they all got out and made their way to the dining room. To Skye's surprise, it was one giant table and everyone was sitting around it.

"Skye, over here!" Darcy Lewis, Jane's assistant called out, pointing to the empty chair beside her.

Skye smiled, grateful to not have to find her own seat. There was another empty chair beside it and Steve followed her. Though, to Skye's surprise, he pulled her chair out for her before sitting down.

"Thank you." She said with a smile.

"Just simple courtesy." Steve told her.

Skye had a feeling that those 1940s manners never got old. There was something incredibly special about a guy like Steve Rogers. _But not for you. _She reminded herself. This wasn't going to be permanent and besides, there was no way Captain America would be interested in her. She attracted scum like Miles and Ward.

Dinner was surprisingly nice and everyone was obviously trying to make her feel welcome.

"This place is SO big." Skye said wonderingly.

"Tony likes to show off." Pepper teased. "Originally, we had planned on renting out some of the apartments and some of the office space, but that was before we made it our permanent base."

Thor shuddered. "I for one am glad that this is our private domain."

"The groupies scare him." Jane told Skye with a laugh.

"They are so immodest." Thor protested wonderingly. "And do they not have better things to do than stand there all day? Who does such a thing?"

Skye blushed bright red. Natasha started laughing. "Say it ain't so?"

"It was _once_." Skye protested. "Right after the Battle of New York…"

She felt so humiliated to be confessing this to the Avengers, but there was no ridicule just some warm laughter.

"Who did you dress like?" Clint teased. "Did you dress like Tasha? Because that would be hot."

The woman in question elbowed him in the guy. "Ignore him." She told Skye. "I certainly do."

Skye's blush deepened. "Captain America." She coughed. "With a skirt."

Steve blushed slightly at her words as everyone else started making comments.

"A Cap girl, huh?" Tony teased. "He does seem to get the prettiest fans."

"Or at least the classy ones." Pepper said, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure Skye would never ask anyone to sign her breasts."

"That happens?" Skye asked.

"Oh, yes." Pepper confirmed. "And you should see the kind of things he gets in the mail."

"What can I say, women find me irresistible." Tony said arrogantly. "Too bad for them I'm strictly a one-woman man these days." He added, wrapping an arm around Pepper.

"Lucky me." Pepper muttered, but she was smiling.

"Skye, how do you feel about going right back to your training?" Natasha asked after a moment, changing the subject. "I thought we could start tomorrow."

Skye paused. "I… After San Juan…" She began. "My training stopped. May thought my powers could be a hazard."

"I'm not Agent May." Natasha assured her. "Melinda tends to be a little overly cautious. Besides, we have better facilities. We'll just start in the Hulk room."

"The Hulk room?" Skye asked in surprise.

"It's a triple re-enforced training room specifically for the Hulk." Bruce told her. "Tony had it built. We're trying to get the Other Guy familiar with the other members of the team."

"What exactly are your powers?" Tony asked. "Are you a rage-monster too? Because you can never have too many of those around."

"I make earth quakes." Skye said quietly. "When I get upset or angry, the Earth starts to shake."

Thor looked concerned. "Those are not powers that should be treated lightly nor have I heard of such thing amongst Midguardians."

"I was exposed to a Kree device." Skye told him quietly. "My parents… They weren't entirely human either and the artefact changed my DNA."

Thor looked grave. "I did not know that the Kree artefacts were resurfacing, that could be quite concerning. I will have to inform Heimdell of this." He looked at Skye. "Lady Skye, I may be able to be of some help, since my powers involve the various elements. I can assist you if you would like."

"I've spent a lot of time learning how to harness my rage and control it." Bruce added. "If you think that would help, I'd be happy to give you some tips."

"Thank you." Skye said honestly. Everyone was so warm, so welcoming and so willing to help. But then, unlike her other team, almost everyone hear was different. She wasn't the odd out here. Maybe, just maybe she finally had found a place she could belong.

No, she wouldn't let herself think like that. This was temporary. It had to be. But she would take all the help the Avengers could give her and she would appreciate the time she had with these surprisingly open, warm people.


	5. Chapter 5: Night Terrors

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Part One._

_A.N- Unlike in "So You're the One", I'm not ambiguous about Ward in this. The plot is so strong in my head and he has to be the villain. This also may be pretty dark at times, especially in the later chapters. Though I will place warnings on each individual chapter when it comes up. I make a major change to the canon, in this world Skye and Ward were lovers. The period between him telling her he's not a good man and her finding Koenig was longer and instead of him pulling away, the kiss deepened and they were intimate. It's important to the plot (and no, no pregnancy or anything like that). _

Chapter Five: Night Terrors

_"You're mine, Skye. You and I both know that." Ward touched her cheek. _

_"No." Skye said, shrinking back from his touch._

_"You know you want me," Ward said, not detoured, "remember how it felt when I touched you? The way you came apart in my arms? It could be like that again, Skye… You just have to let it."_

_"No!"_

Skye woke up screaming. To her dismay, she was also crashing to the floor as her bed broke.

"Miss Skye, are you all right?" JARVIS asked in her ear.

Skye couldn't answer, she couldn't control her shaking. _Calm breaths. _She reminded herself. But she could see Ward's face, could practically feel his touch and it was hard to keep her emotions in control.

"Skye, Skye?" She could hear the male voice and feel the touch on her shoulder and it made her shrink into herself. Was Ward here? But how was that possible? She was in the Avengers Tower?

After a moment, she realized the touch felt unfamiliar and calmed down enough to realize that it was Steve Rogers standing there, trying to calm her.

"How did you get in here?" She asked, still shaking, but no longer in a supernatural way.

"JARVIS woke me when he couldn't get a response from you." Steve told her softly. "You were registering extreme distress."

"I had a bad dream." Skye said softly.

"About what happened to you?" Steve asked, his blue eyes kind.

"No." Skye admitted. "About… About someone I cared about and trusted and shouldn't have."

"Coulson mentioned that your old SO was HYDRA." Steve said cautiously.

"Yes." Skye admitted, unwilling to elaborate. She had kept the truth about her relationship with Ward secret. Oh, everyone knew that there had been something between them, but only Jemma knew the truth about how stupid Skye had been.

"It's hard when you feel like you know someone and they deceive you," Steve said quietly.

"Yes." Skye agreed, suddenly very aware that she was sitting on a broken bed wearing a tank top and a pair of skimpy sleep shorts and Captain America was standing beside her. This was a combination of fantasy and nightmare. "I'm sorry that JARVIS disturbed you." She said quietly, standing up out of the wreckage.

"It's ok." He assured her, he looked at the bed. "Has this happened before?"

"No, but… They've been sedating me at night." Skye admitted. "It was a safety precaution." Coulson hadn't seemed crazy about the idea, but everyone thought it was for the best and Skye wasn't going to argue. "I guess Coulson thought I'd be ok here. I did too."

She hadn't expected her first drug-free sleep to be haunted by memories of her psychotic ex.

"The last few weeks must have been very hard on you." Steve said softly. He looked around the wreckage. "You can sleep at my place if you like."

Skye must have looked surprised, because he blushed. "I mean, I'll sleep in one of the guest rooms, but my bed is reinforced and shouldn't break."

Skye just raised an eyebrow and Steve blushed even darker. "I have super-strength," he explained awkwardly, "Tony… He figured I might as well be prepared in case, well…"

Skye got the message and had to give Tony Stark credit for thinking of everything, though she wondered if he'd also provided the bed partially to embarrass the big, blonde man.

"Thank you," she said quietly, "but I can't kick you out of your bed."

"There are two other bedrooms." Steve pointed out. "Tomorrow you can talk to Tony about getting you a special bed, but tonight, you need to sleep."

The idea of sleeping in Captain America's bed… Well, Skye had a feeling it could lead to a sleepless night for other reasons, like fantasies about the first avenger. "All right, if you're sure you don't mind." She agreed, because she didn't want to disturb anyone else and even if she went and slept in one of the guest beds, there was a chance it would happen again. Tomorrow she'd talk to Jane and Bruce about administering a sedative.

But for tonight, apparently she was going to be sleeping in Captain America's bed.

* * *

Grant Ward scanned the bar, taking in all the faces. It had been a while since he had gone out in public, since he was a wanted man and all but since he wasn't on American soil, he figured he was safe.

It had been a month since San Juan and he had been laying low, plotting his next move. Figuring out how to best offer his services. For the moment he was still partnered with Cal, because the older man had resource he didn't and because they had a mutual goal: They both wanted Skye.

Skye. She had been all he had been thinking about. He had recovered from his gunshot wounds and he wasn't even angry. He knew it had been her way of levelling the score. Now she had gotten it out of her system though and they could put the past behind them.

He just had to find her first. She hadn't been seen since San Juan. He knew she'd gotten out of the temple alive, their intel had shown that, but Coulson had been keeping her on lock down since then.

"They're afraid of her." Cal had declared. "I told her this would happen. She'll understand that soon, that they'll never understand and accept her and when that time comes, she'll be begging for us to rescue her."

Ward wasn't as patient as Cal, he didn't want to wait for that day. Besides, he knew Skye and how stubborn she was. He doubted she'd ever come to them, but if they could get to her… Well, surely he could get through to her. He just had figure out a way to get to her.

It had been a long, lonely several months. He had been without a woman in his bed since his one encounter with Skye. Raina and Anne, as Agent 33 had decided to be called, had both offered but he had turned them down. There was only one woman he wanted. Only one woman who could satisfy his need.

Ward scanned the bar again and his eyes fell on a small, dark woman in a booth with a few other woman. She noticed him looking at her and smiled, as did a few of her girlfriends. Ward ignored them, concentrating entirely on the first woman.

She was very pretty, in her mid-twenties with long dark hair and delicate features. Most importantly she looked enough like Skye to be her sister.

Ward got up off the bar stool and made his way to the booth in the back, his most charming smile pasted on to his face. The woman wasn't Skye. She couldn't replace Skye, but maybe she could do as an acceptable substitute for one night at least. Something to tide him over until he could win the woman of his dreams…


	6. Chapter 6: The New Girl

Awakening Quake

By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Six: The New Girl

"Mr. Stark is on his way to see you, sir." JARVIS informed Steve the next morning.

"Thanks JARVIS." Steve said, he was making some coffee. He'd already been up and had a run, but Skye hadn't woken up yet and Steve figured she'd probably want some coffee. He also guessed that she'd be embarrassed when she woke up.

A moment later, JARVIS let Tony into the apartment.

"I heard you had an overnight guest," Tony told him, "I would make a bad joke, but I'm assuming it's not for the usual reason. Even_ I'm_ not that good."

Steve rolled his eyes. Sometimes Tony really was just like his father. "Skye had a bad nightmare," he told Tony, "she ended up breaking her bed. I guess, they've been sedating her."

Tony let out a curse. "Nice of Coulson to mention that." He looked at Steve. "What's your impression of her?"

"Skye?" Steve asked. "Nice. Sweet, very scared."

And very beautiful. He'd had a hard time sleeping last night, unable to get the picture of her in that skimpy sleep outfit out of his mind. Especially knowing she was just down the hall, sleeping in _his_ bed.

"Pepper likes her." Tony answered. "And Natasha seems fully behind her. I think she could make a good addition to the team. Especially if she's a brilliant as Coulson says she is."

Skye had only been with the team one night, but they had offered her the invitation to come with them knowing that they would probably offer her membership in the Avengers. After all, they had all been strangers when they first worked together and despite everything, the fact that she was Coulson's protégé was a huge mark in her favor.

Just then Steve's bedroom door and Skye emerged. She was fully dressed, having thought to bring a change of clothes the night before. Steve was a little disappointed that he wouldn't get to see the sleep outfit again, but realized it was probably for the best. Especially with Tony there.

"I made you coffee." He told her. He knew it was considered polite to make a woman coffee after she'd spent the night in your bed, even if you didn't occupy said bed. "I also made some toast."

Skye smiled. "Thank you, that's very nice of you." She turned to Tony. "Hello, Mr. Stark."

"Tony." He corrected with an easy smile. "Only JARVIS calls me Mr. Stark. We're on a first name basis around here."

"Well, I only have a first name, so I guess I fit right in." Skye joked, taking a seat at the island bar. There was no kitchen table in Steve's kitchen, just an island with stools. Which was perfect since he never had company and only really ate breakfast there.

"We're hoping so." Tony told her honestly. "I heard you had some troubles last night?"

Skye blushed. "I… My tremors broke my bed." She admitted, looking stricken.

"I'll have it replaced today." Tony assured her. "I've had some special beds manufactured for Bruce, I'll have one delivered to you ASAP."

"Dr. Banner needs a special bed?" Skye asked, shooting Steve a look and he had a feeling that she was thinking about his bed and Tony's thoughts about his 'requirements'. Not that they had actually been needed, last night was the first time a woman had slept in his bed and he had slept elsewhere.

"Bruce has transformed to Hulk in his sleep." Tony told her. "It only happened once, during a particularly rough night, but we like to be prepared."

"I'm going to ask Dr. Foster and Dr. Banner about administering a sedative." Skye said quietly. "So it won't happen again."

Tony and Steve exchanged a look.

"That is up to you," Tony told her, "but experience has taught me that it's better to work through these things instead of patch them up. There are a lot of people here who would be happy to help."

"Bruce swears by Tai Chi." Steve told her helpfully. "Says it helps the rage."

"I've done some Tai Chi." Skye said quietly.

"I'm sure Bruce would enjoy the company." Tony told her. "Why don't you talk to him today? Before that though, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Oh?" Skye asked nervously.

"Since you were inside S.H.I.E.L.D until recently," Tony began, "which means you've probably had better luck at cracking HYDRA databases than we have. I've had some success, but not much."

"I have a few programs." Skye told him. "I deleted a bunch of intel before I left S.H.I.E.L.D, but the basic coding programs are still there. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"We're looking for Bucky." Steve told her. At Skye's startled look, he explained how they had discovered that Bucky was the asset known as the Winter Soldier. "He's out there, I know he is. We just have to find him."

"That's why you were surprised I was on this floor." Skye said quietly. "You wanted the apartment saved for Bucky."

"I didn't even think about that." Tony told him apologetically. "I can move Skye, if you like."

"No, it's ok." Steve assured them both. After last night, Steve had the feeling that Skye shouldn't be alone and he had been happy to be able to help her when she'd needed it and not just because she was one of the prettiest women he had ever seen.

"You want me to search HYRDRA and see if I can find Bucky." Skye said after a moment. "You said he was referred to as the Winter Solider?"

"Yes." Steve told her. "Natasha's been looking and so has Tony, but they haven't had much luck."

"I've had a few months of trying to crack HYDRA." Skye told them. "I'll do my best."

"That's all we ask." Tony assured her. "I see that you have a laptop and a tablet, but I'll set you up with more equipment. There's a computer lab on the same floor as the science labs, it can be your base."

"And I'll help in any way I can." Steve offered, not that he could do much. He was still catching up with technology and the intricacies of computers were beyond him.

"Sometimes I just need someone to read stuff out to me," Skye told him with a shy smile.

"Done." Steve promised.

"If you need anything, just ask." Tony told her. "I assume S.H.I.E.L.D was paying you?"

"Not much." Skye said with a shrug. "Especially not since the collapse. Mostly room and board."

"You'll have that here too." Tony assured her. "It's hard to figure out a good salary for superheroes, so mostly I just take care of expenses. JARVIS has set up an account for you and a credit card for personal use. Anything you want, anything you need, you've got it."

"That's not necessary," Skye said softly.

"I take care of my people." Tony told her. "I'll leave you to finish your coffee in peace. Oh and Skye, Natasha said to tell you she expects you in the gym by 8 and I wouldn't keep her waiting—she gets mean."

He nodded them both and then exited.

"I guess I should go get ready." Skye said, hopping down off the stool. "Thank you for breakfast."

"Anytime." Steve said quietly and meant it. He wouldn't mind seeing more of this beautiful and obviously very smart woman.

* * *

"So I hear you had a sleepover with Cap." Natasha teased when Skye arrived at the "Hulk Room".

Tony hadn't been able to resist sharing that information with everyone, even though Pepper had scolded him. Natasha assumed it was more to embarrass Steve, whose lack of a love life was well noted, and not Skye. However, she definitely looked embarrassed now.

"It wasn't like that," Skye said with a blush, "I had a nightmare and he rescued me."

"He's good like that." Natasha told her. "And there are worse things than being rescued by a superhero."

"I don't want to be rescued by anyone." Skye said flatly. "I need to depend on myself."

"I can understand that." Natasha told her. "And that's why we're going to continue your training. We're going to examine your reflexes and test your powers."

"I may not be aging at a proper rate either." Skye said quietly. "My mother, she didn't age. HYDRA killed her for it."

"And you look about 17, so it's possible you may have inherited the same powers." Natasha realized. "Did S.H.I.E.L.D not do a run-up on your DNA?"

"They did," Skye told them, "but basically, I'm no longer entirely human and they weren't sure what in particular they were looking for and since no one was willing to train me, we have no idea if the changes affected my strength or stamina."

Damn S.H.I.E.L.D. They had handled the situation all wrong. But at least Coulson had had the sense to call them and get Skye the help she needed.

"Well, don't worry, I'll put you through the ringer." Natasha told her. "If you're comfortable with it, I'll have Bruce do a full work-up, he might be able to spot something that the S.H.I.E.L.D experts missed."

"Ok." Skye agreed.

"Thor wants to check out your powers." Natasha reminded her. "But I thought we'd do a basic training session first. I have to warn you, I'm tough."

"I can handle it." Skye assured her.

"I know." Natasha told her. "I read your file. You trained under Grant Ward and Melinda May. They're both hard asses and would have expected everything you could give and then more."

"I learnt a lot from them." Skye admitted. "Ward… He was a good teacher, despite everything else."

There was a lot of pain in Skye's voice as she stumbled over the name and Natasha wondered if there was more to the story than Coulson had told them.

"Unfortunately being a bad person doesn't make you a bad agent." Natasha told her. "If it was true, we would have weeded out HYDRA a lot earlier. Still, what's important is to take what you learnt and channel it and forget everything else." She looked Skye in the eye. "Let go of the anger or at least channel it. Don't let it control you. He's not worth it. No one's worth destroying yourself over."

Skye nodded. "I still feel like an idiot." She admitted. "It was a good reminder that my taste in men is terrible though and that I should just avoid them all together."

So Skye had sworn off men. Well, if there was anyone who would teach her that not all men are scum, Natasha couldn't think of a better candidate than Steve Rogers. She had been trying to set him up for months and she couldn't help but think that Skye seemed like the perfect choice. She might not want one, but she needed a hero, and yet, at the same time, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Exactly the type of woman Steve needed.

Still, Natasha kept the thought to herself as she started Skye on some simple hand-to-hand combat drills. They'd take this one day at a time.


	7. Chapter 7: Fitting In

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I relied on comic knowledge for what happens with Mjolnir in this chapter and then kind of just made it up. Technically Mjolnir just drops again when disturbed and causes tremors, but I figured that since Thor was standing right there, it would go to him. I move ahead to give Skye time to start settling in, but not enough time that she would have started opening up. That will come in the next few chapters. _

Chapter Seven: Fitting In

_Three Weeks Later_

**_THUNK! _**Tony slammed against the wall.

"I'm glad you're on our side," he told Skye as he got up.

"I didn't know I could do that." She said in wonder. They were experimenting with her powers. She had had a decent amount of success learning how to control the tremors and now they were trying to get her to channel it at things, not just the ground.

Like trying to target Iron Man mid-flight. It had taken a few attempts, but Skye had finally been able to focus her energy on him and the result had been him crashing into the wall.

"You are amazing." Darcy gushed and then pouted. "I wish I could do that. Everyone else gets all the cool powers." She perked up. "Do Thor next!" 

Jane raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

"I'm not sure what 'do me' means," Thor said, which caused everyone except Steve to bite back laughter. Some more successfully than others since Clint was openly chuckling. "However, I will happily volunteer to test your powers Lady Skye." 

"Ok." She stood where she was.

"Test it on Mjolnir." Tony piped up. "None of us can touch the damn thing, it would be interesting to see if you can move it with your powers." She could hear the annoyance in his voice and tried hard not to laugh—Pepper told her that he had spent many hours trying to lift the damn hammer.

Thor set Mjolnir down on the ground. 

Skye concentrated on the Hammer. She started with shaking the hammer itself, but she could feel some repelling her. Then she focused on the ground just beneath the hammer and gradually increased the strength of the tremors and the hammer fell sideways and once jolted flew at Thor, who caught it.

"Very nice." Tony said with a whistle. "I told you someone else could move it. Eventually."

"The hammer itself is resistant to my powers, but it is affected by the ground under it." Skye explained, "So I can't really move it. I can just disturb the Earth under it."

Tony looked disappointed. Apparently he had quite the obsession with disproving the 'only someone worthy' thing. 

"Still impressive." Steve assured her.

"I think we should take a break," Bruce said after a moment, "Skye has demonstrated her powers pretty impressively, but we don't want to push it." 

Skye nodded. Natasha, with some help from Clint, was training her, but Bruce was a huge help. They did Tai Chi together and he was helping her control her emotions. He did **not** give her sedatives though.  
_"You don't want to get dependant on artificial means to control and suppress your powers," He had warned her, "instead you need to figure out ways from within yourself." _

So she had suffered through some bad dreams. Thankfully the re-enforced bed Tony had supplied had proven to be very durable and she hadn't had a repeat of her first night in the tower and her nightmares hadn't gotten bad enough to warrant JARVIS calling Steve in again.

However, the blonde man had been around a lot. Every morning, he checked to see how she had slept and expressed his concern over the nightmares. Everyone in the Tower was friendly, but Steve was a little more attentive, but in a very polite way. Skye didn't get the impression that he was hitting on her or if he was, he was very subtle about it. Not that she actually thought Captain America could be interested in _her_.

He was probably just being friendly because she was looking for Bucky. After three weeks, she hadn't made a lot of progress, but she was determined to keep looking. A part of her wished she still had access to Ward locked up in a basement, maybe he knew something. On the other hand, she was happy to be far, far away from Grant Ward and hoped she would never have to see him again. Though she knew it was unlikely. There were mistakes you could forget and there were ones that would haunt you for the rest of your life and Grant Ward was definitely the latter. 

Unfortunately, he was also not the type to go quietly into the night and just accept that she never wanted to see him again. He would come for her again, Skye knew that with a terrifying certainty.

"We need to come up with a cool code name for you." Tony told her as they all exited the training area, forcing her out of her unpleasant thoughts.

"Code name?" Skye asked, wondering if she had missed something,

"You can't just be 'Skye' when you're out in the field," he pointed out, "Thor's the only one that makes that work and well, he's a God."

Skye was still stuck on the 'go out in the field' part. "I didn't know I was going to go out in the field." She said quietly. 

The party all stopped walking and several people turned to stare at her.

"I thought that was a given." Natasha told her. "After all, that's why you're here, because we thought you had potential to be an Avenger and in three weeks, you've more than lived up to that potential." 

"I think I speak for everyone when I say we'd be lucky to have you on the team." Sam told her. "And not just because you're nicer to look at than everyone other than Natasha."

"I didn't…" Skye began. 

Clint looked at her sympathetically. "You didn't want to think about belonging." He guessed. "I get it. I also grew up in the system. I know what it's like and how you grow up knowing not to trust anyone other than yourself."

"I thought I had a team." Skye said quietly. "Then I didn't." 

"Well, you do now." Tony told her. "And I think we should celebrate your awesome powers. Dinner? Dancing? A night on the town?" 

"That is pretty much guaranteed to end badly." Natasha said dryly.

"Also, there are a few people who I'd really rather not know where I am." Skye pointed out. She definitely didn't want Ward or Cal knowing where she was. If Ward knew where she was, well then he'd come for her. Same with Cal. Not that she thought they'd be able to get to her here, but… She definitely felt safer with them thinking that she was still with Coulson's team.

"Then we'll stay in." Tony declared. "But we'll still have a celebration. Dress up and everything. JARVIS call the caterers for me and tell them I need them tonight."

There were groans from everyone. Skye bit her lip, not wanting to mention that she didn't have any formal clothes with her. Not that she'd ever owned much to begin with.

Pepper rolled her eyes. "I guess we're all going shopping." She told the other women. "JARVIS clear my schedule and order us a car please." 

"Yes Miss Potts." The AI said immediately.

Skye followed Pepper and the other women to the elevator, while the other men were groaning and complaining to Tony about requiring formal ware when they were all staying inside.

One thing she had observed in three weeks was that life in the Avengers Tower was never dull.


	8. Chapter 8: A Throwback From a Different

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I made a Polyvore post for Skye's outfit for my own personal inspiration. If anyone wants to look it up my username is Misha726 and the outfit is labelled "Skye". I figure Steve is not the type to rush into anything and I wanted that to come across, plus Skye is still scared and confused and she's been badly hurt and Steve senses that, so that makes him even more cautious. _

Chapter Eight: A Throwback From a Different Era

"We need more men." Darcy complained as the women arrived at the high-end store Pepper had chosen.

"There are more men than women as is," Natasha pointed out. "Why do we need more?"

Darcy made a face. "Yes, but none of them are any fun. Sam is the only one even willing to dance."

"Thor dances." Jane said with a dreamy smile.

"With _you_," Darcy told her, "not with anyone else. Tony's ok for one dance and then he's back to Pepper. Clint and Bruce both refuse."

"What about Steve?" Skye asked, before she could stop herself.

Darcy made a face while Jane, Pepper and Natasha all laughed.

"He'll dance, but only to boring, archaic songs." Darcy complained.

"He's from a different era." Skye defended. She was sure it was a bit of adjustment for him, even after a few years.

"Yes, he is." Natasha agreed. She smirked. "He is a great dancer though, as I'm sure you'll find out tonight."

Skye blushed at the implication. "We're just friends."

"Of course you are," Natasha told her, "what did we just say about Steve being from a different era? Modern courtship is foreign to him. Instead, he'll be polite and kind and _there_."

Skye shook her head. She and Steve were just friends. She enjoyed the time they spent together, but she wasn't looking for anything else.

She started browsing the racks. She wasn't entirely comfortable with this shopping trip, or the idea of Tony Stark financing her life, but she knew the other women would insist that she buy something and it would be kind of nice to step into another life for one night. A life of glamourous dresses and dashing heroes.

"I like the blue one." Pepper told her, seeing the dresses that Skye was eyeing, "Go try it on."

Skye nodded and picked a couple dresses to try on, including the blue one that Pepper had mentioned.

She tried it on last.

"That's the one." Jane said, "It's perfect for you."

"Do you think so?" Skye asked. The dress was deceptively simple. It was a beautiful royal blue color and fell below her knees in a simple A-Line. The dress had a define waist and a modest V-Neck and it clung to Skye's petite frame. A daring cut out in the back ramped the dress up a bit.

"Oh, yes." Natasha agreed. "You look beautiful."

"It's perfect." Darcy assured her, though Skye noted that her choice was a much more dramatic green number. "A certain Captain is going to love it." She added with a giggle.

Skye blushed, but secretly she hoped that Darcy was right. Even if she and Steve **were **just friends.

0

* * *

Steve fussed with his tie. He guessed he should be grateful Tony had just demanded that they wear suits and not full black tie ensembles.

While he was grateful for everything that Tony did for the Avengers, sometimes it was odd living in Tony's world and it occasionally included having to wear a suit for dinner with the same people he at with every day.

"JARVIS, is Skye finished dressing?" He asked when he was satisfied with his tie. He figured he would escort her down to the banquet hall. Yes, Stark Tower had a banquet hall—a holdover when the Tower was actually meant for public use.

"Yes, sir." JARVIS answered. "She is waiting by her door. I have informed her that you wish to escort her."

Steve hurried to his own door and crossed the hall. He politely knocked on Skye's door and then froze when she opened it. She was always beautiful, but today… She wore a simple blue dress and it clung to her curves, but was still very simple and elegant.

Steve wasn't always sure what to make of what passed for fashion these days. Sure, the woman looked nice, but Steve thought the fashions of his day were sexier. He supposed it was old-fashioned of him, but he preferred clothes that left something to the imagination. Like Skye's dress.

It clung just enough to hint at what lay beneath it. Enough to send Steve's fantasies into overdrive. He had to take a deep breath, trying to force his body to behave.

"Do you like it?" Skye asked, almost shyly.

"You look beautiful." He told her sincerely. So beautiful. Steve wanted to say more, but he had no idea what to say. He had never been really great with talking to women. Most of his experience women came from USO girls. Women like Peggy and Skye had always made him nervous.

Skye was the first woman who had really caught his attention since he was found and he was considering making a move, he definitely thought about her a lot, but he had no idea how to go about it. Besides, she was so skittish and wary of her place on the team, that he didn't want to make things worse.

Her eyes lit up and she blushed. "Thank you. You clean up pretty well yourself."

"Thank you." Steve said and offered her his arm.

She took it and they headed towards the elevator.

"Does Tony do this often?" Skye asked as they headed towards the banquet hall.

"Thankfully, no." Steve told her. "But every once in a while he comes up with ideas to liven things up around here. He's so used to this kind of thing though, that he thinks it's normal."

"Normal people like to sit around in their sweats and watch TV." Skye said with a laugh. "But then normal is highly over-rated."

"It's been a long time since I've been normal," Steve confessed, "and sometimes I think it sounds pretty good."

"I've never really been 'normal'," Skye told him, "and yeah, I've always thought it sound pretty great."  
There was a sadness in her eyes and once again, he couldn't help but think her eyes were too sad, too haunted for someone so young.

Just then they reached their destination.

"I guess, we're here." Skye said, as the doors opened.

"We are." Steve said and he took her arm. "Let me lead you."

She smiled, obviously pleased by the gesture and the smile gave Steve hope. He knew she had been hurt in the past, but he would never hurt her. He just had to figure out a way to let her know that.


	9. Chapter 9: Dance With Me

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One_

Chapter Nine: Dance With Me

Tony Stark never did anything by half-measures, Skye realized.

Even though it was just their small party of eleven, the hall was still done up formally. There were three tables, two of four and one of three, set up and spread out and there was a dance floor. It looked like a very small, but very elegant banquet.

Skye noted that Tony had even hired people to serve them. She wondered what it was like to get that job and she couldn't believe that she was on the other end of things. This was her life now. At least, for the moment, though every day she started to believe a little bit more that this could be permanent and that she might actually get to stay here.

"What's with the little tables?" Clint asked, looking around.

"I figure it's more intimate than our normal seating arrangements." Tony told him. "Seating is assigned."

"Of course it is." Natasha muttered.

Skye stood nervously, wondering who she was eating with.

A moment later, a uniformed waiter appeared to show them to their tables. Ok, this was officially over the top.

Pepper and Tony and Jane and Thor had the first table. Then Darcy, Sam and Bruce. Which left Skye with Steve, Natasha and Clint.

"Oh." She said with a blush. She looked up at Steve. "You can switch with Darcy if you like and sit with Sam and Bruce."

"Do you want me to?" Steve asked, his eyes focused on her.

"No." Skye admitted.

She could see Natasha smirking at her and glared at the redhead, who just grinned.

"Good, neither do I." He told her as they were shown to their table. He held out her chair for her and then sat once she was settled.

"This is cozy," Natasha commented with a knowing grin.

And Skye started wondering exactly how stupid it would be to kick the Black Widow under the table.

"Three tables in a banquet hall meant to hold 300 people isn't exactly my definition of the word 'cozy'." Clint said dryly. "Sometimes, I think Tony has too much money."

"Only sometimes?" Skye asked, causing the three of them to laugh.

"I can't complain too loudly, he does fund the Avengers," Clint pointed out, "without him he wouldn't be able to do what we do."

"Just don't let him hear you, we don't need his ego to get any bigger than it already is." Natasha joked.

"This is an amazing set-up." Skye said, "I mean, not just this. But the whole tower."

There was even a movie theatre. Steve and Thor spent a lot of time there, trying to catch up with pop culture. Skye had been living there three weeks and still hadn't seen all of the Tower yet.

For a girl who had once lived in her van, it was definitely a little overwhelming. She had yet to find a good cozy spot to be by herself yet. Even her apartment was too big to really be comforting. Though she did enjoy the giant bed and bath tub after living on the Bus for so long.

0

* * *

Skye found that she really enjoyed dinner. Natasha and Steve were the two members of the team she was most comfortable with and Clint had warmed up considerably since their first meeting.

The conversation was light and the food was fantastic.

"Is there really going to be dancing?" Skye asked as their plates were cleared away.

Clint rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."

Skye remembered what Darcy said about how Clint refused to dance and laughed. "I love dancing." She admitted. "It makes me feel relaxed."

Just then music started playing from somewhere and Skye saw Tony leading Pepper onto the dance floor.

"I think that's your cue solider," Natasha said with a grin.

Skye blushed as Steve stood up. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes." She told him and he took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. The music playing was a soft romantic ballad.

"I'm not really up on modern dances," he admitted. "And I'm sure you don't know how to swing dance, so…"

"There's nothing wrong with swaying to the music," Skye told him, "but I do know how to swing dance if like?"

"You can swing dance?" Steve asked in surprise.

"One of the foster homes I lived in, the mother was a ballroom dance teacher." Skye explained. "I was there for about 6 months and I guess it stuck."

As she spoke, she and Steve had started doing a simple dance. It had been a long time since she'd done this type of dancing and never with a partner as muscular as Steve, but it came pretty easily. As if on cue, the next song that played a big band style song, perfect for swing dancing and they effortlessly swung into a more complex dance. They learnt each other's cues and soon, they were dancing in time with the music and with each other.

"My turn," Skye hadn't even realized the music had changed, until Tony put a hand on her shoulder.

Steve nodded politely and handed her over to Tony.

"I figure it's the host job to dance with all the beautiful women at least once," Tony said with a grin.

"It's a hardship." Skye teased back. Weirdly enough, Tony was the one that she felt the most comfortable teasing. He had such an over-the-top personality that it was hard not to feel at ease with him.

"You enjoying your 'welcome to the team' celebration?" He asked her.

She blinked in surprise. "Is that what this is?"

"More or less." He told her with a shrug. "We can give it more time if you like, but we're all in agreement that you would make an excellent Avenger, Skye. We just need to work on that code name."

Deep down Skye had to admit that some part of her had secretly hoped that once she got her powers under control, she could go back to S.H.I.E.L.D and her old team, even though, she had technically left S.H.I.E.L.D. Becoming an Avenger would end that hope. At the same time, it was an amazing opportunity.

"I've never thought of myself as a super hero." She admitted.

Tony laughed. "I don't think any of us did. Life happens, it's what you make of it that matters."

That was one way of putting it. The song ended then, before Skye could think up a response. Tony patted her shoulder and then went to claim Jane for a dance.

Skye was about to sit down, but then suddenly Steve was there again.

"Another dance?"

"You don't have to keep dancing with me." She told him, accepting his hand.

"I want to." He assured and then smiled, "plus it's nice dancing with someone who doesn't think my dance moves are archaic."

Skye smiled at the reference to Darcy, who was currently dancing with Sam, and then smiled. "I wouldn't call it archaic. A little old-fashioned maybe, but those dances are classic and will never go out of style."

Like the man holding her hand, he was a throwback from a different era, but Skye didn't think that old fashioned manner and charm would ever be out-dated. In fact the world needed more men like Steve Rogers.


	10. Chapter 10: Don't Let the Past Destroy Y

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One. _

_A.N- This is a lot more serious than the previous chapter. We got romance in chapter nine, now we go back to addressing Skye's issues, or at least some of them. _

Chapter Ten: Don't Let the Past Destroy You

"With those dance moves of yours, I think I should be paying more attention to teaching you hand-to-hand." Natasha told Skye the next morning. "You're definitely flexible."

Skye blushed. "I guess. I just like dancing." 

"A certain blue-eyed super hero seemed to like it too." Natasha teased. "Still think he's not interested?"

Skye and Steve had danced a good portion of the evening and when they weren't dancing, they were talking. He had even walked her back to her apartment. He hadn't made any overt move, but even Skye had to admit it seemed like he was interested.

"I'm not sure why he's interested in _me_." Skye said quietly. 

"Because you're smart, beautiful and can kick-ass?" Natasha asked. "It's a combination most men would find irresistible." 

"In my experience the only men who have been interested are trouble." Skye told her, a tad bitterly. Her romantic history wasn't exactly a rousing success. It was full of men who had fed her false promises and lead her into trouble. 

"I think we can both guarantee that Steve Rogers isn't." Natasha told her quietly. "He's one of the good guys, Skye." 

"I know." Skye told her. She did know that. Of course, she knew that. He was Captain America. She sighed. "I just… I don't know how to handle the good guys. My experience is mostly with bad guys." 

Like Ward. Who she had thought was one of the good guys. She'd thought he was different, that he was the one who would break her pattern and it turned out that he was even worse than all the others.

"Grant Ward was more than you SO." Natasha said flatly. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes." Skye admitted. "We… I was in love with him. Or at least with who I thought he was." She sighed. "I fell hard for Ward and it made me realize I can't trust my heart."

It wasn't that she doubted Steve. He was Captain America, after all, but she doubted her ability to open up the way he would need. He deserved better.

"Loving the wrong man isn't a sin, Skye." Natasha told her. "Ward was a top S.H.I.E.L.D agent and a valuable HYDRA asset for a reason, because he could play a part perfectly." 

"I bought it hook, line and sinker." Skye said bitterly. "I saw him as broken, but noble. I thought I was special because I was cracking through his armor, but it was all a lie." 

"As I said, he was an expert liar." Natasha told her. "It also might not all have been lies." At Skye's startled look, Natasha continued. "I'm not defending him, the guy's scum, but I listened to what Coulson said and I read the reports. His actions after Garrett's death, his fixation with you, it makes me think that he really did fall for you. After all, even scum can have feelings." 

"So I should forgive everything because his feelings might have been real?" Skye asked in disbelief. It was too much like the line Ward kept trying to sell her. That she should forgive him for being HYDRA, because his feelings for her were real. That he might be murdering scum, but he really loved her. She didn't expect to hear that same crap from Natasha.

"Hell, no." Natasha assured her. "You are much better off without him and I'll make sure you have the skills to take him down if he ever comes looking for you. I'm just saying you shouldn't beat yourself up for falling for his lies, because there might have been some truth there."

For some reason it made Skye feel a little bit better. But just a little bit. She still felt like the world's biggest fool for falling for Ward's lies.

"Are you still in love with him?" Natasha asked quietly.

"No." Skye said, though she wasn't 100% sure. She wanted to say that she felt nothing for Ward and it was slowly coming, but… If she truly felt nothing she would have shot him in the head in San Juan. There was a part of her that still felt something for Ward and she hated it.

"Then let him go." Natasha advised. "Chock it up to a mistake and move on. Holding on to the regret and the anger… Well, it's easy, but in the long run, you lose and he wins. Don't let Grant Ward turn you off of love forever. You deserve better than that."

Skye paused, considering the words. Was she letting Ward win be deciding to never risk another romantic attachment? Maybe, Natasha was right. Not that it would be easy, Skye never trusted easily to begin with and now she knew she'd be even more cautious.

However, it didn't seem that scary to trust Captain America. He was the ultimate good guy, though Skye still couldn't believe that she might have a chance with him.

"If you decide to trust yourself again, you're going to have to make the first move." Natasha told her, seeming to guess her thoughts. "Steve's sweet, but a little too cautious and polite. He would never want to push, so he'll hold back until he's sure you're ready and even then…"

Skye nodded. Though the idea of making a move on Captain America… She wasn't sure she was there yet. Oh, she'd definitely thought about it. A lot. But…

"We were going to work on hand to hand today?" She said suddenly, putting an end to the personal conversation.

"Yes." Natasha agreed, not pushing. "I know you have some training in this area, but I think we can push you further. Put that flexibility to good use. You're small and you're quick, that can be a deadly combination if you know what you're doing and I'm going to make sure you do."


	11. Chapter 11: Code Name Quake

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Eleven: Code Name Quake

"Jackpot!" Skye yelled out, even though she was alone in her lab. "JARVIS I need you running back-up on this and can you alert Tony and Steve?"

"Of course Miss Skye." The AI said politely.

Skye quickly kept typing, knowing her access to the HYDRA system would likely be brief. As she was typing away, Tony came running into the lab, Steve right behind him.

"Are you ok?" Steve demanded.

"I'm fine." Skye told him, not looking up. "I think I've found Bucky, or at least I have a lead on him. HYDRA's looking for him too. Apparently his programming is breaking down."

"Probably your work." Tony told Steve, he turned his attention back to Skye. "How long?"

"I need another two minutes, hopefully they don't catch on to my presence." Skye said. "JARVIS is backing everything up, if you can encode it as I work that would help."

Tony got to work, grabbing one of the other computers. He had set up a fully functional computer lab for her.

Steve just stood behind her, patiently, watching as she worked.

"I'm done!" Skye cried a moment later, jumping out of her chair. "I think I have an idea on his location or at least as good as an idea as HYDRA does."

"You're amazing!" Steve told her sincerely.

"We haven't found Bucky yet." Skye reminded him.

"We will, thanks to you." Steve told her. He reached out and put a gentle hand on her face. Skye didn't dare move, not sure how to react, so she just stood there, looking at him.

They stood there, just looking at each other, for a long moment until Tony cleared his throat loudly.

"While I hate to break up this romantic scene, I think we need to pin down a location and send a team in ASAP." He pointed out, grinning at them both.

Steve dropped his hand and stepped back. "Of course."

Skye blushed. She'd totally forgotten that Tony was there. All she'd been aware of was Steve.

"I'll get to work on the co-ordinates." Skye said, turning back to her computer. "HYDRA's actively looking for him and there have been a few random explosions of HYDRA bases that can probably be attributed to the Winter Soldier. If I look at the attack pattern and the HYDRA information, I can probably assess where his next strike will be."

Her plan was to put the information she had gotten from the HYDRA's databases into a program and let it come up with the most probably locations for the next attack. Skye looked over at Steve, who was looking at her with a mix of hope and gratitude, and she was even more determined to do this.

* * *

"I've narrowed it down to two possible targets." Skye told the team an hour later. "Unfortunately, they have the same likelihood, so we'll need to hit both of them."

"Looking at the information from the previous attacks, it looks like we have 24 to 48 hours before the Winter Soldier strikes again." Tony continued. "So we'll want to get moving and we'll need to split into two teams."

"I want to be there when Bucky is found." Steve said stubbornly.

"You will be." Tony assured him. "Once one team has Barnes in their sight, the other team will be brought in as soon as possible. The targets are only an hour apart. You'll be there when we get him."

Steve looked reassured and there was more talk about battle plans.  
Pepper, Jane and Darcy would stay behind at the Tower and co-ordinate communications.

"I never get to see any action." Darcy complained, quieting when Jane pinched her.

"Sometimes action is highly over-rated," Natasha said dryly. She turned to Skye. "I think we need that code name."

"Excuse me?" Skye asked, she'd assumed she'd be staying behind with the other women. Except Natasha, of course.

"We need you in the field." Clint told her. "Besides your computer skills, your one of the heaviest hitters we have. If things go badly, you can bring down an entire building."

"And we've also been working on your combat skills," Natasha reminded her, "it's game time, Skye. We need you."

Skye just nodded. She was still a little wary of joining the Avengers, but she couldn't refuse. Not when Steve was looking at her pleadingly. "Ok." She agreed. "But I have no idea about a code name."

"Tremor?" Tony suggested.

"Skye is not a bad horror movie." Pepper told him.

"Shockwave?" Was Clint's suggestion.

"That's even worse." Jane said, shaking her head.

"Quake?" Bruce suggested. "Because she makes Earthquakes?"

"I like it." Skye said, giving him a small smile. She'd never thought of herself as needing a secret identity, but Quake worked. And hopefully, it would keep her father and Ward in the dark about her whereabouts.

"Come up to the lab when we're done and I'll get you all suited up." Bruce told her. "I've been working on improving all of our costumes with some help from Jane and Tony and well, I've been expecting you to join us in the field, so I've been prepared."

"Ok." Skye agreed, though she couldn't believe this was happening. She was going to go out in the field with the Avengers.

"We need to decide on teams," Natasha said, bringing things back to the matter at hand, "Skye and Tony should obviously be on different teams because they're the ones that know the computer system. Thor and Tony should also be on different teams in case we need flight."

"No point in having Hulk and Skye on the same team." Clint added. "They're the two heaviest hitters."

Skye didn't know if it was a compliment to be compared to Hulk or not, but there was something a little thrilling about knowing that she had powers that were that awe-inspiring.

"Definitely." Tony agreed. "So, so far we have Skye and Thor on one team and Bruce and I on another. That leaves you, Nat, Steve and Sam."

"I'd like to go with Skye." Steve spoke up.

"So would I." Natasha said, giving Clint a look. "Since I'm training her and this is her first combat mission with us."

He just nodded. "I guess than means Sam and I are with Bruce and Tony. But next time wouldn't it make sense to split the hot girls up so each team is equal?"

Skye was surprised that Natasha and Clint were volunteering to split up, everyone knew how well they worked together in the field. It would make more sense for Clint and Natasha to stay together and for Steve to go with Tony's team, though she had to admit having Captain America by her side made her little less nervous about her first mission.

And he had _requested_ to go with her. She wasn't sure what to make of that, except that she wasn't doing so well at staying emotionally detached. But maybe Natasha was right and she didn't have to. Steve Rogers wasn't Grant Ward. He would never betray her trust, never break her heart.

She kept thinking she didn't deserve this chance, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe everything did happen for a reason. The last few months had been hard. Between Ward's betrayal, learning the truth about her parents, her new powers and losing the trust of her old team, Skye had taken a lot of blows. But look where she had ended up. She was about to go into battle alongside the Avengers and she had Steve Rogers looking at her tenderly. Things were actually turning out pretty well for her.

The problem was that whenever things seemed to be going well, disaster was usually right around the corner.


	12. Chapter 12: Into the Fire

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Part One._

_A.N- Action scenes are not my forte, but I try. Sorry it's short and a little anti-climactic. We'll get to the thriller side of things later and I think I'll do better with those scenes._

Chapter Twelve: Into the Fire

"It's him!" Skye screamed, catching sight of Barnes.

They had been in location for several hours, with no sight of anyone. There was nothing even to mark the place as a HYDRA base. Though, Natasha and Steve had both been able to pick up on things that seemed out of place and affirmed they had the right target.

Skye had been busy trying to disable the security of the place and she had managed to hack the system, which should give them an advantage.

"Pepper, we see him!" Steve said into the comm.

"I'll let Tony know." She assured them.

"How do we want to do this?" Natasha asked. "Do we strike before or after he does?"

"Before." Steve announced. "He moves quickly."

They quickly conferred and then got in place. Thor flew them down to street level.

"Lady Quake?" He prompted.

Skye nodded and concentrated on the building, causing a quake that wasn't big enough to bring it down yet, but that would definitely be felt by the people inside.

"Bucky!" Steve yelled out, as he saw the Winter Solider.

The man once known as James 'Bucky' Barnes froze. "It's you." He said quietly. "I know you."

"I'm Steve." Steve told him. "I came for you. I want to help you."

"I need to bring them down." Bucky declared, just as all Hell broke loose and HYDRA agents stormed them.

"The asset is in our sights!" One of them yelled out.

"We've got trouble!" Natasha yelled out. "Want to help us out here, solider?" She said to Bucky.

He looked at her confused. "I know you too." He said, but he nodded and followed her lead.

"Is there anything of value in this building?" Skye called out.

"No, they use this as a base to torture prisoners." Barnes informed her, even as he skillfully battled off two HYDRA agents.

"Ok then." Skye concentrated and started bringing the building down. It was hard and took all concentration, which left her open for attack.

"Quake!" She heard the yell, but she couldn't' react in time. She wasn't even aware of what was happening, all she saw was the flash of red, white and blue behind her.  
A few minutes later, she had brought the entire building down and the others had managed to disable the remaining HYDRA agents.

"That's some trick." Barnes told her. The other buildings were all untouched by the quake.

"First time I've tried it." Skye admitted.

"Let's get out of here before the crowd gets any bigger." Natasha commented, referring to the fact that they now had an audience.

"Did they get my face?" Skye asked worriedly. She wasn't crazy about the idea of being out to the public, just yet. She didn't want Cal or Ward to know where she was because she knew that once they did, they would be coming for her.

"No." Natasha assured her. "If anyone got any footage, it'll be very blurry."

"Come with us." Steve told Bucky. "We can help you."

He looked scared and confused, but finally he nodded. "Ok."

They quickly left the scene and headed back to the jet.

"Pepper, we're headed back to New York." Natasha said as soon as they were back in the plane. "And we have company."

"Tony will be disappointed to have missed all the action." Pepper commented. "I'll have JARVIS prepare for our guest."

Steve and Bucky were talking quietly. It seemed like Bucky was still confused and disoriented, but like he instinctively trusted Steve. Apparently some bonds could never be severed.

Skye was sure that there would be some adjustment period ahead for Bucky. After all, he had been through a lot, but with Steve by his side, she was sure he'd make it ok. There was a lot to be said, by having the right support system.

Skye realized that while her old team hadn't been able to be that for her, Coulson had done the next best thing by sending her to the Avengers. She had used her powers today and no one had gotten hurt, well no one but the bad guys, and it would probably have been more drawn out without her.

Maybe this was where she belonged.

* * *

"Agent Coulson, sir, you'll want to see this." Jemma told him, turning up the television.

"Some footage today from an Avengers battle in Florida shows that there may be a new member of the team," the newscaster commented. "Witnesses report that there was a mysterious dark haired woman with the team and that at one point Captain America referred to her as 'Quake'."

There was grainy footage, where all you could make out was the small figure with dark hair. Thankfully, Coulson didn't think Skye could be easily identified by this footage. Or at least for her sake he hoped not, because he knew she wouldn't want her father or Ward to come after her.

Still, since he, and the rest of the team, knew what Skye's ability was and that she was currently in residence with the Avengers, it was easy for him to pick up on the fact that she was Quake.

"She seems to be fitting in." May said behind him.

In the month since Skye had gone to join the Avengers, Coulson had spent countless hours wondering if he had done the right thing. She'd been one of his team and he'd sent her away, just turned his back on her.

"She does." Coulson agreed, examining the footage. Apparently Quake had brought down a building with no collateral damage.

"She's incredible." Jemma commented. "I guess, she is fitting in with the Avengers."

He could hear the sadness in her voice and knew that Jemma also missed Skye. But it was a little easier to accept, knowing that she was doing so well.

"Quake, it seems fitting," Hunter said from beside him, "looks pretty impressive actually. Maybe we should kept her around."

"We didn't have the resources or training to help Skye." May pointed out. "She's much better off with the Avengers. With them, she can reach her full potential."

Coulson could hear the regret in her voice. He knew that she too cared for Skye, but she was more practical than he was and she had been the one to point out that Skye was an unknown variable and that she needed more help than they could give her.

"I wish we could contact her." Jemma said quietly. "But at least now we know she's okay."

"Yes, at least we know." Coulson said quietly. He knew the Avengers were justifiably angry with him and he understood their decision to cut all ties with S.H.I.E.L.D, but he did wish he could know how Skye was doing. He guessed he would just have to hope for more news accounts of the mysterious Quake to let him know that she was alive and well.


	13. Chapter 13: Melt Into You

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One. _

Chapter Thirteen: Melt Into You

"How's Bucky settling in?" Skye asked Steve later that night. He had stopped by her quarters to chat.

"Ok." Steve told her. "Bruce gave him something to help him sleep and says he should sleep through to morning. He also thinks he might have something to help with memory loss. Especially since it seems the programming was breaking down on its own."

"Because of you." Skye told him. "Seeing you again obviously helped him start to remember who he truly is."

Steve just nodded.

"If you'd like I can ask Pepper and Tony for new quarters?" Skye offered.

Steve shook his head. "That's ok. For now, Bucky's bunking with me." He smiled at her. "Besides, I like having you close."

She blushed.

"I owe you a huge thanks," he told her, putting a hand on her face so he could look her directly in the eye. "You were the one that cracked HYDRA's code and located Bucky and then today… Well, you were incredible out there."

Skye could feel her blusher getting deeper. "Tony would have cracked the code on his own eventually." She said with a shrug. "And I couldn't have done it today without you. I know you had my back." Natasha had been sure to inform her how Steve had kept the HYDRA agents from attacking her as she had brought down the building.

"Always." Steve told her and she couldn't doubt his sincerity. "I'll always be there for you, Skye." He looked her deep in the eye. "Would you mind if I kissed you?"

Skye thought how sweet it was of him to ask.

"I'd like that." She said shyly, stepping closer to him.

He bent down and pulled her towards him, after all he was almost a foot taller than her, and his mouth met hers in a gentle, but firm kiss.

Skye wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. The kiss grew deeper and before Skye knew it, Steve was lifting her off the ground and she was wrapping her legs around his waist to gain better access.

A few moments they pulled away, both a little breathless.

"I got a little carried away there," Steve apologized, his arms still wrapped around Skye, holding her up.

"So did I." Skye admitted, she laid her head on his shoulder. "It was nice."

"Very nice." Steve agreed, his eyes warm and tender and definitely a little bit lustful.

"I'd like to do it again." Skye told him softly, before moving in for another kiss.

Steve responded instantly and this time they found their way to the living room couch. He set her down gently, their lips still attached.

"I don't want to rush you." He said after a few minutes, pulling away.

Skye wanted to assure him that he wasn't rushing her, but at the same time it was moving fast. She had known him a month and she wasn't the type to just hop into bed with a guy. Even Captain America himself.

"Can I take you out?" He asked after a moment. "Somewhere we can be alone and get to know each other."

"I haven't really left the Tower much." Skye admitted. She was too afraid of being spotted by Ward or Cal, as unlikely as that was and now that she had gone into the field as Quake, she was even more worried about being spotted. And if she was seen with Captain America, someone was bound to notice and she wasn't ready to deal with the potential pitfalls.

"We can stay in." Steve assured her. "The others would be happy to give us privacy. Maybe we could see a movie?"

"I'd like that." Skye agreed.

"You pick." Steve told her. "I'm still catching up on my pop culture and I've missed a lot."

"It must be hard." Skye said quietly, laying a gentle hand on his arm.

"I'm getting used to it." Steve replied. He laughed slightly. "The parts that I'm having the hardest time with are the parts I was never really good at. Like talking to a girl I'm interested in."

"I think you're doing ok." Skye told him softly. She wanted to open to him, tell him all about her own disastrous romantic history, but at the same time she didn't want to ruin this moment with talk about Ward or Miles or any of the other mistakes in her past.

Steve leaned in and kissed her again. He might be sixty years out of practice, but he was a fantastic kisser, Skye thought, loving the feel of his lips against her. He nipped at her lower lip, causing her to moan and cling tighter to him. She ran her tongue over his lower lip then a second later, his tongue was clashing with hers, demanding entry to her mouth and his hands were running down over her body. Skye ran one hand through his thick blonde hair and the other one down his muscular back, savoring the feel of him against him. Though his muscles weren't the only thing she could feel against her.

Finally Steve pulled away and she could see from his face that he had to force himself to do so.

"I should go." He told her, standing up.

Skye just nodded. She really wanted him to stay, but if he stayed… Well, she could see the strained bulge in his pants and could feel the warmth pooled between her legs and she knew exactly where this would end up if he didn't go. Not that sex with Steve would be a bad thing, in fact she was pretty sure it would be a very, very good thing.

However, she wanted to do this right. She had made so many mistakes in the past. This time she wanted to take it slow and she knew enough about Steve to know that he wouldn't want to rush into sex.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He told her, leaning down and giving her a quick kiss on the head before hurrying out the door.

Skye watched him go and then got up and headed for her bedroom. She was definitely frustrated and since she wasn't ready for the good Captain to finish the job, well, she'd have to rely on her faithful vibrator. Though, she had a feeling it was going to be very poor imitation of the real thing.

* * *

_A.N- You know how sometimes characters take over? That's what this chapter was like. I thought I knew where it was going. Steve and Skye would have their first kiss and then have a serious heart to heart talk about Ward, but Skye shut that down. She decided Ward had no part in this moment and it ended up steamier than I had intended for it to be. I'm changing the rating, not for this chapter, which is still on the high-end of Teen, but for future chapters since apparently I'm going to have to put some smut in this. _


	14. Chapter 14: The Outsiders

Awakening Quake

By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I started this chapter about 5 times. At first I had a Skye nightmare scene. Then a scene with Natasha. Then I changed it to a Steve scene, but none of it fit. This is what I eventually went with. That is part of the reason for the delay, I have also been away off and on this week. Some clarification about the rating change since I've been comments on it. I think there will be one, maybe two smut scenes in this total (and I feel they very much fit the plot), but the general subject matter is getting darker and there will be some very dark and uncomfortable subject matter in future chapters and I wanted to make sure readers were aware of that so I decided on the M rating. _

Chapter Fourteen: The Outsiders

"You wanted to see me?" Skye asked Bruce, appearing in the medical wing. Neither Jane nor Bruce was a physician, but it wasn't like one was really needed, so they made do.

Skye noticed that Barnes was there, obviously Bruce was looking him over.

"I'm waiting on Tony to come look at Barnes' arm." Bruce told her, "but in the meantime, I was thinking you could talk to him."

"Me?" Skye said in surprise.

"You're new here, as well," Bruce reminded her, "so, I'm sure you can sympathise with being overwhelmed and your experiences may be helpful helping him settle in. It also might help you to have someone to talk to."

"Ok." Skye agreed, though the idea of sharing war stories with the infamous Bucky Barnes was a little overwhelming. He was a legend, she was a girl who'd had a very odd year and a half.

"James?" Bruce said as he led Skye to Bucky's bedside. "This is Skye."

"Nice to meet you ma'am." Bucky said politely.

"Skye's the computer genius that helped us find you," Bruce elaborated, causing Skye to blush.

"Tony would have done it eventually." She said as she sat down in a chair. "This place is a little crazy isn't it?"

"Just a bit." He agreed.

Bruce discreetly backed away, leaving them alone.

"I'm new here too," Skye told him, "actually, not too long ago I was living in my van, all alone in the world. It's a big change."

He looked surprised. "For me too." He said cautiously. "Dr. Banner says he can help me recover my memories. I remember some, but not everything, and being here… It's very different."

"I can understand that." Skye said, she wanted to reach out and touch him, but wasn't sure if he would welcome it. Cautiously she put her hand on his good hand.

He stiffened, so she pulled back, but he put his artificial hand on hers to stop her.

"No," he said quietly, "don't. It's just… No one's touched me in a long time, unless…"

Skye shivered, understanding what he was implied. The only touch he'd had was by his programmers and handlers. She felt a wave of sympathy for him. How horrible his experience must have been.

"No one's ever really wanted me." Skye told him quietly. "I was dumped at an orphanage as a child and could never find a home. Whenever I thought I might fit in, it ended up ripped away from me."

"And now you're here." Bucky pointed out quietly.

"Now I'm here." She agreed. "And I'm terrified. These are really good people and they are so good at making you feel like you belong, but it's hard to feel that way when you've never really belonged."

She could see from Bucky's face that he understood exactly what she was saying.

"Do you think you'll stay here?" He asked her tentatively.

"I hope so." She told him. "I think this time could be different, for both of us." She added, patting his hand. "Steve never gave up on you." She told him. "He was so determined to find you, to bring you back. You're lucky to have a friend like him."

"Yes," Bucky agreed, nodding slowly, "I think I am. I don't remember much, but I remember him."

"That's a start." Skye told him.

"Can you tell me about yourself?" Bucky asked. "If you don't mind, I mean."

"Of course not," Skye assured him, "my story kind of intersects with yours and Steve's. Because after the war, my mother was rescued from HYDRA by Peggy Carter…"

* * *

"How is he doing?" Steve asked Bruce, arriving at the medical ward.

Bruce had asked him to give him a few hours while he examined Bucky and while it was hard, Steve had done what he was asked. He'd spent most of the morning in the gym, just trying to take his mind off things.

He'd gone looking for Skye, wanting to talk to her after the previous night, but she hadn't been in her apartment. Hopefully she wasn't avoiding him.

"Physically, he's not actually as bad off as I feared," Bruce told him, "obviously the mental toll is something different and I'm not sure I'm the right person to assess that, but we'll deal with it as we come to it. He is willing to try the drug therapy in hopes it restores his memory and opens his mental blocks."

"That's good." Steve agreed.

"Tony's going to look over his arm," Bruce added, "and see what repairs it needs, if any."

Steve nodded. "Can I see him?"

"Not yet." Bruce told him, "He's got company."

Startled, Steve stepped away from Bruce so he could look into Bucky's room and he could see Skye's small form beside the bed.

"I thought he might need someone to talk to," Bruce said quietly, "and she seemed like the best choice since she's been through a fair bit herself."

Steve nodded. He didn't know the whole story, of course, but it was obvious that Skye had been hurt and he did know that she had been on her own for too long.

He liked the idea of Skye and Bucky bonding, actually. Bucky was his best friend, the brother he'd never had, and it filled with joy to have him back in his life. Skye… Well, he hadn't known her very long, but he already knew that she was special. She could easily become one of the most important people in his life and he wanted her and Bucky to get along.

"Can you call me when Bucky's ready?" Steve asked Bruce after a moment.

"Of course," Bruce told him, "Tony will be here shortly and it will probably be good if you're there for that meeting since Tony can be a little much to take."

Steve laughed. "That's one way of putting it." He and Tony had become good friends, but the other man definitely took some getting used to.


	15. Chapter 15: Moving Forward

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Fifteen: Moving Forward

"How are you feeling?" Steve asked Bucky a little while later, when Bruce had given him the ok.

"I'm getting there." Bucky told him with a smile. "This is quite the set-up you've got going for you… punk."

The addition of the old nickname made Steve smile. "Would you believe that sometimes I miss Brooklyn?"

"You always were crazy," Bucky told him, "this place seems to be the lap of luxury and it's full of pretty girls too."

"I should have known you'd pick up on that." Steve teased. "You always knew exactly where to find the prettiest girls."

"Seems like I'm not the only one," Bucky told him, "it appears you've found a very pretty one for yourself."

Steve raised an eyebrow, not sure what Bucky was getting at.

"That girl, Skye, she's sweet on you," Bucky told him, "So I assumed she was your girl, unless you're not interested?"

Steve was taken aback by Bucky's revelation. "What makes you think she's interested?"

"Her voice would get soft when she said your name and she would get a silly smile on her face." Bucky told him. "I don't even think she realized it, but I could tell."

"You always were an expert on reading women." Steve told him. It had been one of the many things he had envied about his friend.

"You didn't answer the question," Bucky reminded him, "Do you like her?"

"Yes." He answered simply. "But I don't want to rush her, she's been hurt and she's a little cautious."

Bucky nodded. "She told me a bit about her past," He told Steve, "she needs someone like you in her life, someone who will treat her right."

Steve was curious as to what Skye had told Bucky and was actually a little jealous that she had opened up to his old friend and not him, which he knew was silly. He had no reason to be jealous and he was glad that Bucky and Skye seemed to hit it off, he just wanted Skye to feel comfortable confiding in _him._

Steve was about to ask Bucky what Skye had said, when they were interrupted by Bruce and Tony.

"We usually treat guests a little bit better than this," Tony told Bucky with a grin, "I promise we'll get you settled in soon."

"I look forward to it," Bucky told him, "I hear you have quite the set-up here."

"It does the job," Tony said with a false modesty that had both Steve and Bruce rolling their eyes, "but before you get the grand tour, I'd like to take a look at that arm of yours and make sure it's working the wayit should or if we need to improve it."

Bucky looked at Steve, who nodded, silent assuring his friend he could trust Tony, and then held out his mechanical arm so Tony could get a better look.

* * *

"I heard you were into see Bucky."

Skye looked up from her place on the gym floor where she'd been doing sit-ups to see Steve standing there.

"Hi," she said with a smile, standing up.

"Hi," he said in return, giving her a look that made her blush.

"Yeah, Bruce asked me to talk to him." Skye said, answering his question. "He's very nice."

"He thought the same about you." Steve told her.

Skye hoped that was a good thing. She'd heard the old stories about Captain America and Bucky and knew how close they were once been. She knew that if Bucky didn't approve of her, she wouldn't really have a chance with Steve and she did want that chance. As scared as she was, she really wanted that chance.

"Is he still in the med bay?" Skye asked.

"No, he's up in Tony's lab getting his arm looked at." Steve told her. "Tony thinks it needs a few improvements."

"Well, that's Tony's area of expertise, right?" Skye said softly. She knew her way around computers, but the engineering stuff was alien to her.

"Exactly," Steve told her, "I was just getting in the way, so I decided to come work out for a while." That explained why he was in sweats and a t-shirt.

"I can get out of your way, if you like." Skye offered. She wasn't sure if he wanted to work alone or not. Though the Tower's gym was pretty large and had room for more than one person to work-out at a time.

"No!" Steve told her and then softened his tone, "don't leave on my account. I was looking for you earlier, I wanted to see you… Make sure we were still on for that movie tonight."

"We are." Skye said, she's talked to Pepper and JARVIS and arranged for use of the Tower's movie theatre and picked a movie. "I've picked one I think you'll like."

"I'm looking forward to it." Steve assured her. He smiled at Skye. "Want to run through some moves together? I've heard from Natasha that you're a fast learner, but it's probably good to practice on people in different strengths and sizes."

"Sure." Skye told him. Since moving into the Tower, all of her hand-to-hand training had been with Natasha. She had practiced her powers on the male members of the Avengers, but that was it. She hadn't really sparred with anyone much larger than her since Ward had been her SO.

Skye quickly blocked the thought. She was done wasting thoughts on him. He had no part of any of this. He was the past. One she wanted very much to forget.


	16. Chapter 16: Girl Time

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Sixteen: Girl Time

"I don't know why I'm freaking out." Skye complained to Natasha later that afternoon. "It's just a movie in the Tower."

"I could tell you exactly why you're freaking out, but I don't think you want to hear it." The redhead said with a grin. "What's the problem?"

"I have nothing to wear." Skye complained. "I mean, my wardrobe has always been pretty basic, after all I lived in my van and then with S.H.I.E.L.D, traveling light was a requirement. But I don't have a lot of date clothes. Not that this is a date. I mean, is it?"

"Of course it's a date." Natasha told her, rolling her eyes. "JARVIS can you alert Pepper and see if she's free to go shopping with us?"

"I don't need to go shopping." Skye protested.

"You just said you don't have anything to wear," Natasha reminded her, "so we'll go shopping and fix that problem. You still have a couple hours before your date."

Skye sighed, not sure why she had confided her problem in Natasha, except for the fact that she had grown to be a very close friend. "It feels weird having Tony pay for my clothes." She pointed out.

"I know." Natasha agreed. "But it's not any different than taking a pay cheque from S.H.I.E.L.D. Just consider it part of your Avengers 'pay cheque'."

"Like the secret bank account in my name that I'm not supposed to know about?" Skye asked dryly.

Natasha smirked. "I told Tony you'd discover it. He set them up for all of us—in case we get hurt and can't do this anymore or we want to walk away, we have the option and the means to start over. It makes him feel better, doing this for us. He has more money than he could ever spend and he likes feeling like he's providing for us—Tony shows his affection by spending money."

Skye nodded, the whole set-up still made her a little uncomfortable, she'd never been one for depending on others, but she couldn't fault Tony's generosity.

"Miss Potts will meet you in the lobby in ten minutes." JARVIS informed them. "Miss Lewis and Dr. Foster will also be joining you."

Skye groaned, knowing that she was going to have to answer _lots_ of questions about why she suddenly needed a new outfit.

Natasha just smiled. "Thank you JARVIS." She turned to Skye. "We'll find you the perfect outfit and a few spares, so we don't have to go through this again." Natasha looked at the small pile of clothes on Skye's bed. "There's no need for you to keep packing light, Skye, you don't have to go anywhere ever again if you don't want to."

Skye wanted to believe that. She wanted to believe that this place could become her home, that she could really be a part of the Avengers family and that there would be a time when she felt at ease living off of Tony Stark, but that day still felt so far away. Right now, she still felt as if it could all slip away from her any moment, just like it had every other time she started to feel like she might belong.

* * *

"Blue jeans are not date material." Darcy argued.

"I disagree, jeans with a cute top can be great for a causal date." Pepper told her. "Besides, they look really good on you, Skye. Those are definitely a keeper."

Skye had lost track of how many 'keeper' items the other woman had decided on. She'd come to terms with picking up a few things, but she wasn't sure how she felt about getting a whole new wardrobe.

"I think skirts are best for dates." Darcy countered. "Show off your legs."

"You can show off your legs in a pair of jeans," Jane pointed out. "I think Skye should decide what's she most comfortable with, but I'm with Pepper—I like the jeans."

"I feel like this is too much." Skye protested, referring to the pile of clothes in the keep pile and the amount of stuff in various shopping bags. "I'm sure that something we've already bought will be fine for tonight."

"Just try on the skirt Darcy picked out," Pepper urged, "and we can compare and then we'll head back to the Tower."

"After we stop for a drink," Natasha corrected. "We might as well take advantage of being away from the men and go have a nice cocktail."

The women all laughed and agreed and Skye returned to the dressing room. She slipped on the right black skirt Darcy had picked out and the red top that she had suggested should go with it.

"Hot!" Darcy cried out as soon as she saw her. "I told you that skirt was perfect."

"You look great." Jane agreed.

Skye looked at herself in the mirror and liked what she saw. "I think it's a little much for a simple movie date." She pointed out.

"I agree." Pepper said, giving Darcy a pointed look. "The jeans and that nice purple top are much better choice, but that outfit does look great on you. Get them both." When Skye was about to protest, Pepper laughed. "I swear Tony won't mind, in fact, I'm under orders to make sure that you buy yourself lots of pretty things. It's Tony's way of trying to welcome you to the team."

Skye knew that Pepper was telling the truth and she knew Tony well enough to understand that it really was how he showed affection. So, she nodded before returning to the dressing room. Besides, if things didn't work out, she could always leave the clothes at the Tower and just move on with the stuff she had brought with her.

"So now we're going to get drinks?" She asked when she emerged. "Any particular place?"

"There's this bar a few blocks from here that Tash loves." Darcy said with a grin. "It's full of corporate types and she loves shooting them down when they hit on her."

Natasha shrugged. "Everyone needs a hobby and those guys always think they're Gods gifts to women, they need a reality check and I'm happy to give it to them."

Skye laughed as they all headed towards the car. "Sounds like fun to me."


	17. Chapter 17: Date Night

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

Chapter Seventeen: Date Night

"You look beautiful." Steve told Skye when she opened the door to her apartment. He had insisted on meeting her at her door and escorting her to the theatre. His old school manners would take some getting used to, but they were also incredibly charming.

"Thank you." Skye told him, closing her door behind her.

Steve offered her his hand and she took it. She felt a little bit like she was going on her first date. But then, she hadn't had a lot of proper dates with sweet guys who met her at the door and held her hand and opened doors for her, so in a lot of ways this was a first.

"So what movie are we watching?" Steve asked once they were settled in the theatre.

It wasn't your traditional movie theatre, because instead of traditional rows of seats there were comfy couches scattered throughout the room. Made for a more comfortable viewing experience. Also a bit more practical since there were a dozen or so residents of the Avengers Tower and they didn't exactly need seating for a 100.

"Batman." Skye told him with a grin. "The one from 1989."

"Batman? He's a comic book character, isn't he?" Steve asked hesitantly.

"Yes." Skye told him. "He's been around since the late 30s, so I'm surprised you're not familiar with him."

"I never read a lot of comics." Steve said with a shrug.

"You're missing out." Skye told him. "But yes, he's a comic book character and one of the best. He's a superhero without super powers, he's just really smart and really rich and has lots of fun technology."

"So, he's like Tony." Steve joked.

Skye giggled at the comparison. "Kind of, just a lot broodier and without a Pepper to keep him in line. Anyway, there are a lot of Batman movies and they're making more new ones, but my favorite is the one from 1989."

"I look forward to it." Steve told her, helping her into her seat.

Since Tony's world was unlike anyone else's, he had staff to see to their needs and Pepper had arranged for someone to bring them snacks. Skye thought it was a little ridiculous, but then she felt that way about a lot of things in her new life. From living in her van to life in a billionaire's personal playground, life was certainly strange sometimes.

"So you like comic books?" Steve asked, before the movie started.

"Yeah," Skye told him, "I always have. I've always loved the idea of superheroes. Growing up in the orphanage, I imagined that I was special and different and one day I'd be able to prove it and that I'd do great things and help people like the characters in the comic books I read."

"And that wish came true," Steve pointed out, "now you're a superhero."

Skye wasn't sure she'd ever get used to those words.

"It did." She agreed. "I can't believe it. Sometimes I feel like I'm going to wake up and it was all a crazy girl and I'm just an ordinary girl on my own."

"There's nothing ordinary about you." Steve told her. "You're one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met."

"And that's saying something since we live with a Norse God." Skye joked, trying not to blush.

Thankfully at that moment JARVIS dimmed the lights as the movie began. Skye leaned back against the couch and settled into watch the movie. Steve settled beside her and reached for her hand. His hand felt warm and comforting, reassuring without demanding anything. Just like Steve himself.

* * *

"That was kind of dark." Steve commented when the movie was over.

"Batman's kind of dark." Skye told him.

"Don't people want superheroes to make them feel better about themselves?" Steve asked her, brushing her hair out of the face.

As they watched the movie, they had ended up switching positions and Skye had found herself cuddled against Steve's strong shoulder, his arms wrapped around her.

"Batman keeps Gotham safe," Skye argued, "He just does it from the shadows. Sometimes that's what people need. I mean, S.H.I.E.L.D was all about protecting people while staying in the shadows."

"And that worked out so well." Steve pointed out.

Skye shrugged. She might have left S.H.I.E.L.D behind but she still believed in the idea of it and in the people in the organization. "S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't all bad," she said lightly, "it brought the Avengers together."

"Yes, it did." Steve agreed and then he smiled, "and if it wasn't for S.H.I.E.L.D I'd have never met you, so I'm grateful for that. I guess, I just disagree with a lot of how things were handled."

"I can understand that." Skye agreed.

"You miss it." Steve said softly. "Being part of S.H.I.E.L.D, I mean?"

"Yeah." Skye said softly. "It was the first place I'd ever really belonged. I'd been on my own for so long and then suddenly I was part of a team and more than that, they were like family. Then San Juan happened and I didn't belong there anymore."

"Have you contacted anyone in your old team?" Steve asked her.

Skye shook her head. "No. You said I had to cut ties with S.H.I.E.L.D, so I did."

It was hard. She really wanted to let Coulson and May know she was ok and see how Fitz was adjusting and talk to Jemma about… Well, everything.

"I'll talk to Tony and Natasha, but I think you should at least be able to call your old team." Steve told her. "We were all pretty angry at Agent Coulson and I think we were a little hasty to declare that we wanted nothing to do with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'm surprised you agreed to take me on at all." Skye told him. "The way you felt about S.H.I.E.L.D and Coulson."

"It was the right thing to do." Steve said simply.

Skye smiled. For him it was that simple. He lived his life trying to do the right thing. She'd spent so much of her life attracted to the complicated bad boy, but this good, honest man… He was something else entirely and suddenly more appealing than any bad boy.

Skye leaned in and kissed him. Steve quickly returned the kiss, lifting her up so that she was straddling his lap and then cupping her face with his big hands as the kiss grew deeper.

He let go of her mouth, but kisses all over her face and down her throat. Skye moaned at the contact, threading her fingers through his thick blonde hair and then his mouth was on hers again.

Finally, they pulled apart, but she was still straddling him.

"I could kiss you forever," he told her tenderly.

"Yeah…" Skye agreed, "but this is probably not the place."

"No." Steve agreed, "However I'd guess we wouldn't be the first."

Skye laughed, knowing he was probably right.

"However, you're right, this isn't the place." He said, he leaned forward again and kissed her, but very tenderly this time and then stood up, Skye still in his arms. He very gently set her down and offered her his hand. "I'll see you upstairs."

Hand in hand they walked to the elevator and then when they got to their floor. Skye motioned to her door. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yes." Steve told her honestly, "but I don't think I should. I don't want to rush you, Skye, and I had a really hard time leaving last night."

"I had a hard time watching you go." Skye admitted. She wanted to assure him that she wanted him to come in, that she was ready for anything, but… "There are things I have to tell you," she said finally, "about me."

"You can tell me anything." Steve assured her.

"I know." Skye said softly, "and I will. But not tonight. I don't want to ruin tonight."

Steve just nodded and then he leaned down and kissed her again. Skye wound her arms around his neck, needing to be as close to him as possible. This felt _so_ good. She wanted to stay in this moment forever and block the rest of the world out.

_"What I want is to stay here with you and imagine the outside world doesn't exist." _The words floated in her head suddenly, completely uninvited and it was like she had been doused in cold water.

"Skye." Steve asked in concern, when she went still in his arms. "Are you okay?"

_No, I'm not. _She thought, _I'm not sure I'll ever be okay. Because I was stupid._

She just nodded. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Steve inquired, his eyes gentle and concerned, "did I push too hard?"

"No." She assured him. "The kiss was wonderful and I wanted it. I want _you_." She sighed. "As I said, there are things I have to tell you, about my past."

"Whenever you want to talk, I'll listen." Steve promised.

"Thank you." Skye said and she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss against his lips. His arms tightened around her and he pulled her into a comforting hug. She leaned against his strong chest and mentally kicked herself for letting the memory of Ward ruin the moment.

Natasha was right, she had to find a way to put the past behind and exorcise the ghost of Grant Ward once and for all, but how?


	18. Chapter 18: The Past and the Future

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Eighteen: The Past and the Future

"What do you know about Skye's past?" Steve asked Natasha the next morning.

Breakfast at the Tower wasn't formal, instead it was 'eat when you feel like it'. Clint was already seated and was talking to Bruce as they ate, but they were the only other ones up, so Steve decided to take the opportunity to talk to Natasha about Skye.

"Don't you think you should be asking her?" Natasha replied, raising one perfect eyebrow at him as she snagged a croissant from the breakfast bar.

Steve knew she was right, but… "Something's holding her back." He said quietly. "She's been hurt, badly, I can tell."

"She has to be the one to tell you." Natasha said softly. "Besides, I don't know the full story and I think that's the problem. Skye's been holding it all in and its eating her apart."

It wasn't the answer that Steve wanted, though deep down, he had known that Natasha wouldn't betray Skye's secrets.

"Did last night not go well?" Natasha asked in concern.

"No, it went well." Steve said, thinking how nice it had been to watch the movie with Skye nestled in his arms. "It was going great, right up until the end and then something spooked her."

"She'll tell you when she's ready." Natasha cautioned.

Steve just nodded, knowing she was right.

"How's Bucky?" Natasha asked, changing the subject.

"Good." Steve told her. "I think he gets out of the medical ward today." Bruce had wanted to keep another night, just to make sure he was sleeping okay. "Have you seen him yet?"

He knew Natasha and Bucky had a bit of a past, though not the details.

"No." Natasha said, "But I was going to go up there after breakfast. Say hi. Hopefully, it doesn't dredge up too many bad memories."

"He might like knowing that you were able to put all that behind you," Steve pointed out.

"It's not easy to let go of the past," Natasha agreed and Steve knew she wasn't just talking about herself and Bucky, but Skye as well.

"No." Steve agreed, then he remembered something else he'd wanted to mention to Natasha. "Skye mentioned that she hasn't been in touch with her old team at all, because we made it clear she'd have to cut ties with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"There were some concerns she was joining this team to spy for S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha said, casting a look over at Clint. "But I think no contact might have been a little too harsh."

"I'll mention it to Tony." Steve said, glad to have Natasha's support. "I think knowing that she didn't have to walk away from her past completely might help her feel a little more comfortable here."

He had the feeling that part of Skye still wanted to go back to S.H.I.E.L.D and that was why she was resisting fully joining the Avengers. He didn't blame her, but he wanted her to feel comfortable where she was and maybe the best way to do that was to make it clear she didn't have to her past entirely.

* * *

"Figuring out more ways to give HYDRA Hell?" Tony asked, peering over Skye's shoulder.

"Trying to." Skye said with a smile. She was used to Tony barging in on her in the lab. First of all, it was his building, but of the inhabitants of the tower, he was also the most interested in her work.

"I found something we may want to look into." She told him, showing him the information she was trying to decode.

"As soon as you know for sure we'll go into the field and check it out." Tony promised her. "Wouldn't want you to think we just hang out at the Tower all day and do nothing."

Skye laughed. "Believe me, I have a full appreciation for the field work." It had felt good to be back in the field and she was looking forward to doing it again, though a little apprehensive about being recognized.  
Perhaps it was cowardly, but she felt safer as long as Cal and Ward had no idea where she was. She knew the moment they discovered her whereabouts they would come for and she wasn't ready for that.

"And we have a full appreciation for your powers." Tony told her. "Steve and Natasha were very clear that things wouldn't have gone as smoothly the other day without you."

"I just want to be useful." Skye said quietly.

"You are." Tony told her. "I know I speak for everyone when I say you are a very welcome addition to the team. It has pointed out to me though, that we've been a little unfair to you."

"How so?" Skye asked. "You've been incredibly generous and everyone has been very welcoming."

"But we made you turn your back on your old team." Tony pointed out. "I still feel like S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers are not on the same page and I prefer for us to work as a solo operation, however the intention was never to isolate you from your friends."

Skye smiled. Steve had obviously talked to Tony like he'd said he would. But then, she couldn't imagine Steve not following through on a promise.

"So, if you'd like to give them a call, go ahead." Tony told her. "For me, your adjustment has gone so smoothly and it feels like you were always part of the team, but as Pepper constantly points out, I'm not always very sensitive and may have overlooked that you had to leave everything behind. I'm sure they're worried about you too."

"I don't want to cause problems with S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers." Skye said softly.

"You won't." Tony assured her. "I know you well enough to know that you won't say anything you shouldn't and honestly, it's a line of communication that probably should be open at some point."

She nodded and Tony turned to go.

"Skye, we want you to feel comfortable here." He said, pausing at the doorstep. "That doesn't just mean buying whatever you want, though you are welcome to do that and I was glad to hear that the shopping trip was a success, but anything else you need to feel comfortable and if that includes communicating with your friends, then we want you to do that."

With that he was gone. Skye pondered his words. It hadn't occurred to her to mention how much she'd missed her friends, because she'd just assumed she'd had to completely leave her S.H.I.E.L.D life behind and even though she hadn't really wanted to do that, she wanted to belong _somewhere_. But maybe the fact that her feelings did matter to the Avengers was a sign that she might have finally found her place.

She picked up her phone and dialled a familiar number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jemma, it's me."


	19. Chapter 19: Old Bonds and New Ones Too

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Nineteen: Old Bonds and New Ones Too

"Skye!" Jemma said in disbelief. She couldn't believe that it was Skye! After months of silence it was so good to hear her friend's voice.

"I know it's been a while." The familiar voice said on the other end.

"How are you?" Jemma asked, "Are you all right? Is something wrong?"

There had been no word from Skye since she'd left, but Agent Coulson had warned them to expect that. The Avengers had made it clear that they'd take over Skye's training, but they didn't want any collaboration with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Everything's good." Skye assured her. "I'm settling in."

"I saw you on the news." Jemma told her. "We all did. You looked great and it seems you have your powers under control."

There was a moment of silence. "Was it obvious that it was me?" Skye asked quietly.

Jemma was confused and then it hit her. Skye was worried about Cal and Ward knowing where she was. "No," she assured her friend, "not obvious at all. We only knew it was you, because we knew you were with the Avengers, otherwise we wouldn't have had a clue."

Skye let out a sigh of relief on the other end. "Good."

"How come you're calling now?" Jemma asked curiously. "I mean, I'm thrilled to hear from you, but…"

"Tony actually suggested I call you," Skye said with a laugh, "Well, it was Steve's idea, but Tony likes to take credit and it's his tower. I didn't… Well, I wanted to respect their rules, but he said he never meant to cut me off from my friends."

It was strange to hear Skye refer to Iron Man and Captain America by their first names.

"What are they like?" Jemma asked. "The Avengers, I mean?"

She, Skye and Fitz had spent hours speculating about the Avengers and what they would be like in person and she couldn't believe that Skye was actually living amongst them.

"Tony is exactly like we thought he would be." Skye said with a laugh. "Arrogant, loud, abrasive, but at the same time he's also really charming and generous and brilliant and thankfully he has Pepper to keep him in line. She's amazing. All the women are. Jane Foster reminds me a lot of you, actually, brilliant and sharp and sweet. Darcy Lewis is sweet and funny and has a very refreshing outlook on life."

"What about Black Widow?" Jemma asked, intrigued to hear this new insight on the famed Avengers and their companions.

"Tash?" Skye asked and Jemma could tell she was smiling. "She's nothing like I thought. She's even more deadly than May, but when she's not in the field, she's funny and sassy and loves girl talk and shopping and margaritas."

There was a lot of fondness in Skye's voice and Jemma found herself feeling a little jealous of the Black Widow. She and Skye had become instant friends and other than Fitz, Skye was the best friend she'd ever had and it bothered her little that Skye seemed to have bond so fast with Natasha Romanoff. It was like she was being replaced.

"Sounds like you've made friends." Jemma said softly.

"Yeah." Skye agreed. "I have. I miss you though. All of you, but you especially, Jemma."

"I miss you too." Jemma told her. "But more about the Avengers! What's Captain America really like?"

"Steve?" Skye asked and there was an odd note in her voice. "He's… It's hard to put into words. He's so _good_ and kind and patient. He might be the best person I've ever met."

Jemma grinned, realizing that it didn't sound like Skye was describing someone who was just a friend and colleague.

"It sounds like you've gotten to know him very well," she commented slyly.

There was a pause. "We're… Well, I guess we might be dating." Skye admitted.

"That is amazing!" Jemma said, happy for her friend. Skye deserved the best, especially after what she had been through with that snake Ward.

"I'm scared, Jemma," Skye said softly, "I mean… I've made so many mistakes in the romantic department that I don't know how to trust my feelings."

"Skye, you're talking about _Captain America_," Jemma pointed out, "As you just said, he's the nicest guy in the whole world. He'd never betray you like Ward."

"I know." Skye told her. "I guess I still can't believe it will work out for me. I really thought Ward was going to be my Prince Charming."

"I know." Jemma said softly. She hated Grant Ward, not for what he had done to her, but for what he had done to Fitz and Skye, her two dearest friends in the whole world. Fitz was starting to recover and be a bit more like his old self, but Skye… The emotional damage Ward had done to her was still obvious and Jemma had a feeling that Steve Rogers had his work cut out for him. "But that's the past Skye. Ward fooled us all into thinking he was a good guy, but you know that's not the case with Steve Rogers. He really is that good and obviously he's very smart, because he's realized how special you are."

Skye laughed. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Jemma told her again. "Now, I better go find everyone else and let them know you're on the phone or they'll never forgive me."

As if on cue, May walked into the lab and raised a questioning eyebrow at the phone.

Jemma mouthed 'Skye' and May started towards her, hand out reached. "Skye, May wants to talk to you." She told her friend, before handing the phone over.

May started to ask Skye questions and Jemma exited the lab to go find Fitz and Coulson, knowing that they'd want to talk to Skye.

* * *

"Yes, I'll try to call more often, it was good to talk to you too AC." Skye said and then she hung up the phone.

It had felt good to talk to everyone again. Jemma, Fitz, May, Coulson. She'd even said hello to Bobbi and Hunter. Mack had been 'busy', but that was fine. The bond wasn't there anyway.

Talking to her old team had put Skye in a good mood. It had been so good to hear their voices and to know that they were safe and to let them know that she was safe and that she was happy.

They'd kept the conversation superficial. Skye hadn't asked about missions and they hadn't asked her, tacitly respecting the fact that she was no longer part of S.H.I.E.L.D.

In a way, the conversation provided closure. As long as Skye had been unable to contact them, she'd also been unable to let them go and move on and accept the fact that she wasn't part of that team anymore.

But talking to them had helped and it had made her realize that she could keep the people she loved in her life while still moving on to the next stage of her journey.

It had felt fantastic to be in the field with the Avengers and as amazing as her S.H.I.E.L.D team was, Skye wasn't sure she would have been able to trust them to have her back in the same extent simply because they were all human. It was just a little easier to concentrate when Captain America was the one covering your back.

Speaking of Captain America… Skye headed in search of him, wanting to thank him for talking to Tony on her behalf.

JARVIS informed her he was in the gym and she wondered if she would wait, but then she remembered that he had interrupted her the day before and turn-about was fair play.

Steve was engrossed in hitting the punching bag when Skye came in and she stood there for a moment, in awe of his strength. She knew the bags were specially designed for Steve and the way he caused it to sway under the force of his punch was impressive.

"What did that bag ever do to you?" She quipped.

Steve whirled around, dropping his hands to his side when he saw who it was.

"Just doing a light work out." He told her.

"I'm not sure I want to see what you'd consider a heavy workout," Skye said lightly, remembering how much she had hated training at first and how she had complained about it. She was used to it now, but she was pretty sure she'd collapse if she ever tried to work out with Steve.

"It's an effect of the serum," Steve told her with a shrug, "my body is in top physical condition, but I have a lot of energy that I have to burn off."

"I can think of better ways to work off energy," Skye quipped before she could stop herself.

"So can I," Steve told her, giving her a heated look, "but I don't think we're quite ready for that."

"No." Skye said softly. She wanted to be, but something held her back.

"I'll wait as long as you need, Skye." Steve told her, obviously reading the indecision on her face. "I won't push you."

"I know." She said softly. "I came here to thank you for talking to Tony. I just got off the phone with my old team."

"Did it help?" Steve asked softly.

"It did." Skye told him. "When does Bucky get out of the medical wing?" She asked, changing the subject.

"This afternoon." Steve told her. "He'll be staying at my place. We're going to eat on our own tonight." Steve told her. "I think Bucky could use some time before adjusting to life in the tower. Would you like to join us?"

"Yes." Skye said instantly. "I'd love to."

She would come and have dinner with Steve and Bucky and then… Well, it might also be the right time to have an honest conversation with Steve and tell him about her past.


	20. Chapter 20: A Place to Belong

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One_

_A.N- I had major writer's block on this chapter, which is why it took so long. I don't love it, but I need to move the story forward and thankfully I seem to have gotten past the stump. This is a super busy week for me though, I have a bunch of assignments due plus my MIL and one of my best friends are visiting (separately) this week, so updates will be slow._

Chapter Twenty: A Place to Belong

Bucky was leaning back in the bed, feeling incredibly bored. He wanted out of here. Dr. Banner said he wanted to run more set of tests and then he could be sprung free.

Just then a beautiful woman appeared in his line of sight.

"The Black Widow." Bucky said softly, remembering the beautiful Russian woman from the time they had worked together. Steve had assured him that she was on their side now and had left that part of her past behind her.

"You can call me Natasha," she said with a smile, "I still use the code name, but now I'm allowed to be me."

"Must be nice." Bucky said quietly. "I'm not sure who I am anymore." He knew they all thought of him as "Bucky" but he wasn't sure that that was who he was now. He was no longer the Winter Solider, but that didn't mean could just go right back to who he had once been.

"It's a lot to take in." Natasha said softly. "But you have a lot of people willing to help you."

That he did. In the past two days, Bucky had met several of the Towers inhabitants, some of them, like Miss Potts, just stopping into check on him. They all seemed very nice, though it also seemed like a very _odd_ assortment of people.

"How did you get past it?" Bucky asked quietly, thinking of the bits and pieces of memories that were coming back. Dr. Banner said he could probably help him remember more, but that lead to the question did he _want _to remember more? What he remembered was pretty awful.

"With a lot of help." Natasha said softly. "Clint, my partner… He gave me a chance to be something else other than a killer and then I found S.H.I.E.L.D and for a while that was my purpose and now the Avengers. I have a lot of red in my ledger, but I'm slowly wiping it all out."

"I need to do the same." Bucky told her. "I have a lot to make amends for."

"Well, you're in the right place." Natasha assured him. "A lot of us have things we want to atone for."

Bucky nodded. He was starting to discover that. Steve had assured him that there was a place for him on the team and Stark had echoed that. He still wasn't sure. It was all still new to him and his memories were weird flashes. He remembered more about the 1940s than any of the intervening years and perhaps that was a good thing. He wasn't sure he wanted to remember the rest.

However, maybe Natasha had a point about him being in the right place. The memories of his life as James Barnes were comforting. Even the war years, because while the war had been awful, he'd been a part of something and he'd been doing some good. It seemed that Steve had found that again with these people and maybe, just maybe, there was a place for him as well.

* * *

Dinner was nice. Very low-key.

Skye had worried about intruding, but both Bucky and Steve seemed happy to have her there. It was interesting to see that 60 years apart hadn't really changed their dynamic, she could see just by watching them, how close they were.

And they were both a little out of depth in the modern world.

"People think this is entertaining?" Bucky asked in disbelief as Skye finished explaining the idea of reality TV.

Skye shrugged. "It's a glimpse into other people's lives. I bet the whole world would go crazy for an Avenger's reality series."

Steve shuddered. "No thanks. I think we all feel like we get enough press as it is."

"True." Skye agreed. "And in all seriousness, I don't want to leave the Tower because I'm afraid of the wrong people finding out I'm here, I definitely don't want to broadcast into the world."

Steve and Bucky exchanged looks.

"Who are you afraid of doll?" Bucky asked gently.

"My father." Skye said quietly. She'd told Bucky a bit about her backstory the day before and all the Avengers knew the basics of her history and where her powers came from, even if she didn't really like to talk about it.

She was about to add that she was also afraid of Ward finding her, but she didn't want to get into it front of Bucky. She owed Steve the whole story and she would tell him, but she'd prefer to do it in private.

"You have a lot of people who will make sure he doesn't hurt you." Steve reminded her and Bucky echoed the sentiment.

"I don't want anyone to _have_ to protect me." Skye told them. "I don't want to be the reason anyone else gets hurt." Tripp's face flashed through her mind. She doubted that she'd ever stop feeling guilty for his death.

She sighed. "I know that I can't hide forever. I just want to be strong enough that I can face him all on my own, without needing anyone else."

She wasn't sure that either Steve or Bucky really understood what she was trying to say, but they seemed to accept her stance.

"You've been training with Natasha," Steve reminded her, "If anyone can teach you how to take care of yourself, it's her."

"And if you need more, I could use a work-out partner." Bucky told her with a smile.

"I'm not sure I could keep up." Skye pointed out, thinking about what Steve had said about needing to burn off lots of energy as a result of the serum.

"Well, the offer's open," Bucky told her lightly, but Skye could see he looked a little disappointed and she remembered that she wasn't the only new kid on the block.

"However, I know it's a good idea to have a variety of sparring opponents," Skye commented, repeating Steve's words, "So if you're up for it, I wouldn't mind sparring some time."

"Anytime doll," Bucky told her with a smile.

Skye looked over at Steve and saw that he too was smiling and there was a tenderness and admiration in that smile that gave her a warm, tingly feeling. When he smiled at her like that, like she was someone special, she actually started to believe that everything might work out.


	21. Chapter 21: Confessions

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I had to decide where I was going with Steve's romantic history and I decided that he has sexual experience but no romantic experience except for Peggy. Also, when I was writing this, I came up with some more ideas for the really dark season one AU that I'm planning, so I may have that started in the next week or two._

Chapter Twenty-One: Confessions

After dinner Bucky declared that he was pretty tired and retired to his bedroom, leaving Skye and Steve alone.

Steve was afraid Skye would decide to call it a night as well, but instead she headed to the apartment's small kitchen to wash the dinner dishes.

"You don't have to do that." Steve told her. "I was going to do it."

Tony employed a staff who did the major cleaning, but everyone still had to do their own small chores. Which was fine with Steve, in fact having someone else clean up after his made him a little uncomfortable.

"I want to." Skye told him. "But you can dry."

Steve nodded and together they washed the few dishes in no time. Afterwards, Steve took her hand and led her back to the couch, before she could motion to leave. He settled on the couch and, much to his pleasure, she curled up next to him.

"I'm glad you were able to join us," Steve told her, "Bucky obviously feels very comfortable with you."

It made him happy to see how quickly Bucky had taken to Skye. Bucky was his best friend and Steve didn't know if he could get a serious about a girl Bucky didn't like and he wasn't the type to get involved with a girl if he didn't see it becoming serious.

"He's very nice." Skye said and then bit her lip. "Steve, I have to tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything." He told her, shifting slightly so he could look into her eyes.

"I wasn't entirely honest earlier." Skye confessed. "It's not just my father I'm afraid of. I'm worried about someone else as well."

"Who?" Steve asked quietly.

"Grant Ward, my old SO." Skye told him, her voice laced with fear and regret.

"The one who went HYDRA?" Steve asked him. Coulson had given them a brief rundown on Skye's past, including the fact that her SO had turned out to be HYDRA, but that was all he'd said on the subject. "Does he blame you for getting caught?"

It seemed far-fetched, but why else would Skye be afraid of him? There had to be more to the story than Coulson had told them.

"No." Skye said quietly, dismissing the idea. "He's not after me for revenge. He just wants _me._"

Oh. Steve hadn't been expecting that.

"He's a bit obsessed with me, actually." Skye said, making a face. "He thinks that he can make me love him if he just tries hard enough."

"But you don't?" Steve asked. "Love him, I mean?"

Skye was silent for a long moment. "Not anymore. But I did, once, before I found out who he really was. Or at least, I loved the man I thought he was."

Steve nodded, realizing he was about to hear the reason why Skye seemed so hesitant to get involved. It seemed apparent that whatever had happened with her former SO had hurt her very badly.

Skye shifted, Steve thought she was trying to move away, but instead she shifted closer and instinctively he wrapped his arm around her slim shoulders, sensing that she needed the comfort.

"At first, we barely got along," Skye began "but Coulson made him train me and then, in time, we became friends, but it was just a SO/rookie thing, he was sleeping with someone else on our team. Still, my feelings slowly started to change and it appeared that his did, as well. We started something just before all Hell broke loose and S.H.I.E.L.D collapsed."

"And then you found out he was HYDRA?" Steve guessed, but it didn't seem quite right. Would she be so shaken over a relationship that never really got off the ground?

"It wasn't that simple." Skye told him. "Ward… After HYDRA fell, he came back to the base, I know now it was to get information, but at the time I was just so happy he was alive. Almost losing him had made me realize that I loved him. To my amazement, he said he felt the same way and we… We were intimate and for a few minutes it was perfect. Then I found out he was really HYDRA. What followed was straight out of a nightmare that included him kidnapping me and my having to come to terms with the fact that the man I loved was really a monster."

The pain on Skye's beautiful face was heart-breaking and Steve wanted to track Grant Ward down and make him pay for hurting her and he had a feeling that the story was just going to get worse.

"We eventually captured him and we kept him locked up, because he had information on HYDRA, but he would only talk to me." Skye continued and Steve noticed that she curled closer to him. "I hated it. I hated having to see him, to remember what we'd shared and he wouldn't let me forget."

"I'm surprised Coulson made you deal with him." Steve said disapprovingly. He had gotten the impression that Agent Coulson really cared about Skye, so surely he must have seen how hard it was for Skye to interrogate Ward, so why had he set her up to be the victim of her ex SO's emotional games?

"Ward had valuable information that we needed." Skye said simply. "Besides, Coulson… He didn't know the fully story. He knew that there was _something _between Ward and I, but not that we'd acted on our feelings or how deep my feelings had actually gone. I didn't want them to doubt my loyalty or think I'd been tainted."

The fact that she even had to worry about that was another strike against S.H.I.E.L.D in Steve's mind. Skye shouldn't be punished for falling in love with a HYDRA agent, one who had tricked a lot of people for a long time, but apparently she had been worried that would happen.

"So you kept it to yourself all these months?" Steve asked quietly.

"I told Jemma, my best friend," Skye admitted, "but otherwise, yes. I didn't say anything and I kept going to Ward for information. I was relieved when Coulson made a deal with his brother to hand him over and make him pay for his crimes. However, he managed to escape."

Steve had figured it had to be something like that. Skye wouldn't be so terrified if Grant Ward was locked up in prison somewhere. Besides, he thought that Coulson had mentioned that Skye's former SO had been involved in the mess in San Juan.

"He teamed up with my father," Skye said in disgust, "while he'd been in captivity, he'd promised me to take me to his father and he set out to do just that, even though it was the last thing I wanted. He kidnapped me, it was how I ended up in San Juan."

She took a deep breath. "He didn't care what I want, he was so sure he knew what was best for me. Looking back, I could see that it had always been that way, but I put it down to the Rookie/SO dynamic. The worst part is, if he hadn't been revealed as HYDRA, I probably would have just kept letting him control me because I loved him and I believed he loved me. But that's not love."

"No, it's not." Steve told her. "Love means respecting a person, listening to them, encouraging them." He'd loved Peggy, even though they'd never had the chance to see where it would take them.

"Yeah, but when you've never been loved, it's easy to be fooled." Skye told him softly. "No one had ever loved me, ever wanted me before and I wanted it so badly. As I said, the only reason I realized how screwed up Ward's idea of love was is because he was HYDRA, otherwise… I don't know. Still, I got lucky, but I know it's not over."

"He escaped San Juan?" Steve asked quietly.

"Yes." Skye confirmed and then she smiled. "Though, he was hurting. I shot him, in the vest mostly though. I should have shot to kill, but I couldn't do it."

"I think most people would have a hard time shooting someone they'd loved." Steve assured her, holding her in his arms.

"So now you know my whole sad story." Skye confessed. "You know how terrible my taste in men is, Ward wasn't the first mistake, and that I have no concept of how to have a good relationship."

"I don't have a lot of experience either." Steve told her honestly. "Before the war, I was a scrawny kid who women wouldn't look twice at and then during the war, there were women, but those weren't relationships. Peggy and I had a great friendship and we had built a great foundation, but we never got a chance to expand on that."

"You aren't turned off by the fact that I was in love with a killer?" Skye asked shyly.

"No." Steve assured her, looking deep into her eyes. "HYDRA was good, Skye, they kept themselves hidden for a lot of years and a lot of people bought what they were selling. It's not your fault."

"He's going to come for me again." Skye said quietly. "Once he knows where I am and if he finds out I'm with someone… I can't imagine how he'll react."

"I can handle myself." Steve assured her, taking comfort in the fact that Skye considered him 'someone'. "And to get you, he'll have to go through the Avengers first. Not an easy feat. However, the others, they should probably know that there's a potential threat."

"Do I have to tell them?" Skye asked quietly. "I hate admitting how stupid I was."

"You don't have to tell anyone the details," Steve assured her, "but they should know that Ward is out there and you think he'll come after you and what he's capable of."

"A lot." Skye told him. "He was a Specialist, had the highest test scores of anyone since Natasha. He was one of the best S.H.I.E.L.D had to offer, which is why his being HYDRA was such a blow."

Which meant he was dangerous. Dangerous and obsessed, not a great combination. However, Steve was determined that he would never hurt Skye again. When Grant Ward came after her, he was in for a fight.


	22. Chapter 22: The Set-Up

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Set-Up

Skye had been worried that her relationship with Steve would change after she told him about Ward and it had, but not in the way she'd feared. If anything, he was tenderer and more considerate. Almost a little too much, it was obvious that he was worried about pushing her, so while they spent a lot of time together, and with Bucky, their relationship hadn't really progressed.

It had been weeks since their conversation and the other Avengers had been alerted to the situation with Ward. None of them seemed to hold it against her, "we all have crazy exes," Tony had quipped, "especially me."

Knowing that the others knew about her stalker ex and her psycho father and still wanted her around, helped Skye relax a bit. She went out on a few more missions with the Avengers, though she was careful to not get caught on camera. The press had picked up on the code name "Quake" but didn't seem to have any clue as to her real identity.

Skye still missed her old team, but she had called them a few more times and she and Jemma regularly e-mailed. It wasn't the same, but Skye knew change was part of life and as wonderful as her time with S.H.I.E.L.D had been, this was the next chapter and it was pretty awesome.

"A penny for your thoughts, doll?" A warm masculine voice asked her.

Skye jumped, startled. "A penny isn't worth much anymore," She teased, "my thoughts are much more valuable."

"One more way I'm out of touch with the world," Bucky joked, "In the 40s a penny could buy me a whole newspaper worth of thoughts."

"Which I'm sure are more interesting than mine," Skye agreed, "I was just thinking about how my life has changed. I never pictured myself living here."

"Me either." Bucky said dryly. It had been three weeks since they'd rescued him and he was starting to fit in, but he tended to stick close to Steve or, surprisingly, Skye. "I'm not sure I could have dreamed this place up, but it is definitely luxurious. Even if the AI takes some getting used to."

Skye could only imagine. She found JARVIS fascinating and Tony had actually explained a bit of the process to her, though a lot of it was tech babble, but JARVIS was helpful with some of her hacks.

"I was sent here on a mission," Bucky told her, "Natasha wants you in the gym."

"Again?" Skye asked in surprise. They'd had a pretty rigorous morning training session and she'd been hoping for some down time.

"You can argue with her." Bucky told her with a grin.

Skye made a face, but followed him to the elevator and they headed to the gym. Skye was surprised to find Steve waiting with Natasha.

"Is this a group session?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It is." Natasha told her. "We've done a lot of one-on-one and I'm happy with your progress, but sometimes in combat, it's important to be able to work as a team and I thought we could practice that."

"Ok." Skye agreed with a shrug.

"So it'll be you and Bucky against Steve and I." Natasha told her.

Skye noticed that Steve looked surprised. "I thought Skye and I…"

"It's good to mix it up," Natasha told him, "we all know that you always have her back. She needs to feel comfortable with other partners."

Steve nodded and they started sparring. Skye noticed that Bucky zeroed in on Natasha, leaving Steve for her. Steve was enough bigger than her, that it presented a challenge, even though she knew he wasn't using his full strength.

She was quick, but he had super-human reflexes, so it was hard for her to catch him off-guard. This went on for quite a while and Skye was starting to get tired and frustrated. In more way than one, since being so close to Steve had quite the affect on her body.

Finally, Bucky distracted Steve and Skye took advantage of the moment and used a move May had taught her and managed to pin him to the mat.

"Very good." He told her appreciatively.

"I try." She told him, still on top of him. A moment later, the intimacy of their position hit her. This wasn't the first time they sparred, but she felt so much more aware of him. She could see from the look in his eyes that he was very aware of her too.

"I… You should probably get up." Steve told her, looking away.

Maybe that would be the smart thing to do, but Skye didn't want to do the smart thing. She'd known Steve for almost two months and he'd been so sweet and patient, never pushing and… She was ready.

"I think we should both get out of here." She told him in a low voice, though she was sure that both Bucky and Natasha could hear.

Steve blinked. "Are you sure?" He watched her very carefully, waiting for her answer.

"Very." She told him and got up off of him. A second later, Steve got to his feet and then to, Skye's surprise, he lifted her off the ground and swept her into his arms, carrying her towards the elevator. She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the moment.

From the corner of her eye she could see Natasha and Bucky grinning and she had a feeling that this outcome had been planned, but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she could think about Steve and how good it felt to be in his arms.

As soon as they were in the elevator and the door had shut behind them, Steve's mouth descended on hers and she met his kiss happily, hungrily. Too soon, the elevator doors opened and the kiss broke long enough for Steve to carry her down the hall and to the door of her apartment, which automatically opened for them.

"We don't have to do this." Steve told her once they were in her apartment, still holding her in his arms. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for."  
"I'm ready." Skye assured him and she pulled his head down to hers for another kiss.

_A.N- The next chapter will be smut, if I can get it to my liking. It's written, but I'm not really happy with it yet. It won't be super explicit, but it will be definite smut (and a little bit of plot)._


	23. Chapter 23: Be Prepared

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I removed the smut chapter from , though it's still up on Ao3. Why? Because the reason I included the smut was because I thought the story was going to go down a much darker path than it did. I also planned on going somewhere with Skye's powers that never came to fruition, so the smut wasn't a necessary as I thought and I'm not very good at it. I left it up on Ao3 because they have more relaxed ratings than , so it's still there if anyone really wants to find it. _

Chapter Twenty-Four: Be Prepared

The next morning, Skye made her way to the gym, groaning a little at the thought of her daily training session. The only problem with having a lot of very enthusiastic sex with a super soldier was how sore she felt the morning after.

Natasha was already there, of course, and she grinned as soon as she saw Skye. "I guess I'm going to have to go easy on you," she teased, "because it seems Steve already gave you quite the workout."

Skye blushed. "Wasn't that the purpose of that little 'training exercise' yesterday?"

"Yes." Natasha admitted unrepentantly. "You and Steve obviously needed a little push and Bucky and I were happy to give it."

"Was it that obvious that we weren't lovers yet?" Skye asked curiously.

"You live with a bunch of spies and geniuses." Natasha reminded her. "Most of us are a little bit more observant than the average person. You and Steve didn't act like lovers, the attraction and connection were obvious but so was the tension."

"Do you think everyone will know now?" Skye asked, not relishing the idea of being the centre of gossip.

"Given that you and Steve didn't appear at dinner last night and the way you're walking today, I'm going to assume yes." Natasha told her. "Plus you have that 'great sex' glow about you."

Skye hadn't thought about the implications of skipping dinner. It hadn't been a deliberate thing, they'd just been so wrapped up in each other. They'd spent the afternoon and evening lost in each other. They'd made love and talked and soaked in the giant bathtub, savoring every moment together. They had finally parted that morning when Steve left for his morning run and Skye went to train with Natasha.

"Tony's going to comment isn't he?" Skye asked, making a face. "Or Darcy."

"Or Clint or Sam." Natasha added. "None of them are very good at keeping their mouth shut."

"No," Skye agreed with a smile. She stretched and winced. "I guess we should get started."

"We're not doing any physical training today." Natasha told her. "I figured you could use the day off and we could work on some other skills."

"Are we going to train with my powers?" Skye asked doubtfully, since they were in the normal gym, not the Hulk room. Plus, Bruce was usually the one who trained her in using her powers.

"No," Natasha told her, "you need to learn more than combat skills and today we're going to start working on some of them."

"Agent May taught me a few things," Skye told her.

"I'm sure she did," Natasha agreed, "but she and I have different methods." Natasha paused, obviously considering her words. "When you were kidnapped by Ward, how did you react?"

"I shot him the first chance I had." Skye told her.

"Which is exactly what you should have done," Natasha agreed, "However, I want to look at the bigger picture. I bet you either reacted with defiance or you locked down your emotion."

"A bit of both." Skye admitted.

"Defiance can backfire," Natasha warned her, "especially when you're dealing with someone as unhinged as Ward appears to be. Shutting your emotions off is a good back-up, but sometimes you need to play along. I've been in many situations where I've played along and shown the emotion they wanted and expected of me until I could get the information I needed."

"I'm not that good of an actress." Skye pointed out.

"I'll make you that good." Natasha promised her. "Skye, we're all going to do our absolute best to make sure Ward never gets anywhere near you, but if he does, you need to be prepared. Defiance isn't necessarily the best way to react to a psycho-obsessed stalker if he manages to get you in his custody."

"It worked before." Skye rebutted, but she knew what Natasha was saying. Though the idea of ever playing along with Ward made her feel sick. She felt so much shame and regret for loving him and she didn't know how she could ever disguise that.

"You got lucky." Natasha reminded her. "Besides, last time, you ended up shooting him, so I think you can assume he'll change his tactics. I hope you never have to use any of this, but it's better to know it and not use it than to not have it and put yourself in unnecessary danger."

Skye knew that Natasha was right. She sighed. "Ok, where do we start?"

* * *

Ward studied the grainy footage of "Quake". It had been almost a month since she'd first appeared alongside the Avengers, but no one had been able to get a good shot of her. Normally, Ward wouldn't care that there was a new Avenger, but Quake was small and dark, just like Skye.

Plus there had been a mysterious earthquake in San Juan, similar to what Quake appeared to be able to do.

Still, how would Skye have ended up with the Avengers? As far as Ward knew, Coulson had still been hiding the fact that he was alive from the Avengers, so it seemed like a stretch that a member of his team would join them. But at the same time, all the evidence fit.

Quake had come out of nowhere about a month ago, two months after the events of San Juan and Skye hadn't been seen at all since then. Cal had been tracking Coulson's team and everyone else was accounted for, except Skye. He'd assumed that they were keeping her prisoner, but what if more than that? What if the reason she hadn't been spotted was because she was no longer with S.H.I.E.L.D?

If Skye **was** Quake, it was a definite complication. She was supposed to be scared and alone, alienated from S.H.I.E.L.D and desperate for people who would understand her, who would nurture her newfound abilities, instead of run for them. But if she was the Avengers, then she'd already found that.

Ward knew that Cal wasn't going to like this new development and he didn't particular like it himself. She was supposed to turn to _him_. He was going to help her control her powers and help her fulfil her destiny and then she'd finally accept that everything he'd done was because he loved her.

_"I love you."_

He could still hear the word in his mind, the way she'd hesitated over them, as if she wasn't used to saying them. But she had said them and Ward knew she'd felt it and feelings didn't just go away overnight. Skye still loved him, he knew that, he just had to get her to admit it.

Ward pushed the laptop aside. He was obviously going to have to go to New York and scope out the Avengers Tower for himself. It was risky, because he was a fugitive from the law and because he'd be going straight into enemy territory.

Still, he was confident he could hide in plain sight. For now, he'd leave Cal out of the plan. The other man wasn't exactly subtle. He'd wanted to burst in and take Skye and Ward didn't like their odds in a direct fight with the Avengers.

He had to give Coulson credit, he'd found the best place to hide Skye and keep her safe. Getting her out of the Avengers Tower would be a challenge, so it was a good thing that Ward never turned down a challenge.


	24. Chapter 24: His Girl

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Twenty-Five: His Girl

"Miss Skye, Mr. Rogers would like you to go to his apartment when you have a chance." JARVIS told Skye as she took the elevator back to her apartment after her session with Natasha. They had spent the morning with Natasha teaching Skye how to try and fake emotions. It wasn't easy and Skye wasn't sure she'd ever really get the hang of it, but she understood why Natasha thought she should try and learn.

"Thank you JARVIS." Skye told him and when she stepped out of the elevator, she headed for Steve's apartment instead of her own. She knocked lightly on the door, sure that JARVIS was also announcing her presence and a second later the door opened.

"Hi." Skye said as she stepped inside, feeling a little shy. She had never been great at the 'morning after' and the last time she'd slept with a guy, the morning after had involved finding out he was a serial killer.

"Hi." Steve told her warmly. He reached for her and Skye went into his embrace happily, raising her face to meet his kiss.

"Did you have a good work out?" Steve asked after a minute, his arms still around her.

"Natasha went easy on me," Skye told him, "We practised my espionage skills instead."

"Not a bad idea." Steve acknowledged. "So Natasha…?"

"She had a pretty good idea what happened last night," Skye told him.

"Bucky too." Steve told her. "He was grilling me during our run." He looked her in the eye. "Does it bother you that they know?"

"Apparently everyone knows," Skye said, making a face, "and no, it doesn't bother me. I mean, it's not like our relationship was a secret."

Steve looked relieved and Skye had a feeling that he was remembering what she had told him about her relationship with Ward and how she had concealed it from everyone.

"Good." Steve told her. "Because I don't want to hide it. I care about you Skye and I want everyone to know it."

He released her from his embrace and instead reached for her hand, leading her to the couch. Skye went willingly, settling into the crook of his arm.

"I feel like we should discuss where we go from here." Steve told her after a moment. "And what last night meant."

Skye nodded. "Okay."

She didn't have a lot of experience with the relationship talk. Her love life was a series of disasters, with Ward being the biggest one of all. But she felt surprisingly calm, mostly because she trusted Steve and knew that he wasn't about to blow her off.

"I know it's old-fashioned, but I have a hard time with casual sex," Steve began, "During the war it was different and there were some USO girls, but even then…"

Skye could see his embarrassment and guessed that he'd been slightly uncomfortable with those sexual relationship. "I understand." She told him softly. She had never been one for casual sex either, though sometimes she'd wished she had been, given how many mistakes she'd made in the romantic department.

"Last night wasn't casual for me," Steve told her, looking her directly in the eye, "I respect you too much for that, Skye. I don't want to rush you, though."

"You aren't." Skye promised him. "Last night… It was what I wanted, what I've wanted since I moved into the Avengers Tower."

"Me too." Steve told her. "I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since that first night when you had that nightmare and I saw you in your pajamas."

Skye smiled, thinking how sweet he'd been and how patient. Really, it was what she'd needed to heal. Oh, the past still hurt, but she was finally starting to trust her heart. This time she had made the right choice.

"I want this," Skye told him softly, "I want to be with you. It's scary because I've been on my own for so long."

"You're not alone anymore," Steve assured her, squeezing her hand gently. "I'm here for you, we're all here for you."

"I know." Skye told him with a smile. She believed him. She was starting to feel like this time it was going to work out. She had a home, a family and the chance at something more. Everything she had ever dreamed of.

She leaned forward to kiss Steve, but was interrupted by a chuckle. Startled, she looked around to see Bucky grinning at her.

"Sorry to interrupt." He said unrepentantly. "But I need the punk, Stark wants to run my arm through some training exercises and Stevie's the best opponent."

"So you had to come interrupt my time with my girl?" Steve asked, making a face, but he got to his feet.

_My girl._ The words should have made Skye's blood run cold after her experience with Ward's psychotic possessiveness, but they didn't. Steve didn't mean it like that, he would never try to control or own her. She could hear the pride and affection in his voice. His girl. She was Steve Roger's girl. She had to admit, she really liked the sound of that.

"Want to watch me beat up the punk?" Bucky asked her with a grin.

"Ha." Steve told him. "In your dreams." He turned to Skye and helped her from the couch. "Bucky's right though, you should come watch me whip the floor with him."

Skye laughed. "As tempting as that is, I actually have some computer work I should be doing." She leaned into Steve, giving him a quick kiss.

He held her close to him for a moment and then released her. "I'll see you later."

Skye nodded. "Don't beat each other up too badly."

"No promises." Bucky told her with a grin, "but I'll make sure he's still pretty for you, doll."

This immediately had Steve sputtering and as Skye left the apartment, she could hear the two of them exchanging good-natured insults. She was thrilled for Steve because knew how much it meant to Steve to have Bucky back in his life.

Secretly, she wished she could find the same kind of balance though and have this wonderful new life, but find a way to include Jemma and her other friends in it and not just rely on the occasional phone call or e-mail.


	25. Chapter 25: An Olive Branch

Awakening Quake

By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- This story is an AU after 2x10. None of the stuff that's been happening in the second half of the season affect the story at all. So in this, Bobbi doesn't have a secret agenda, there's only one S.H.I.E.L.D and Jemma's not anti-power. The idea for this scene was actually one I had for "So You're the One", but I couldn't fit it in there. However, it worked for where I want this story to go, so I'm running with it._

Chapter Twenty-Six: Extending an Olive Branch

"I want to call in S.H.I.E.L.D." Natasha announced a few weeks later during an Avengers team meeting.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were all on in agreement about not wanting anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D for now?"

"Yeah, what Tony said." Clint echoed, raising an eyebrow at Natasha. "So what's going on, Tash?"

"I have a lead on a HYDRA underground operation." Natasha told them. "It's a resort that caters to women, mostly bachelorette parties. Skye and I could go by ourselves, but two women on their own might draw more attention than a bachelorette party." She looked around the room. "None of the other women here are prepared for undercover."

Skye saw Thor and Tony both frown at even the suggestion that Pepper and Jane go undercover.

"No," Sam agreed with a smile, "but Darcy would definitely be willing."

That was true. Darcy constantly complained about being left out of the action.

"I'm planning on calling in Maria," Natasha added, "but that's still only three. Calling in Coulson's team gives us more bodies."

Skye nodded. "She's right," She said, speaking up, "May, Bobbi and Jemma could all join us." Jemma didn't have a lot of combat experience, but Coulson had sent her to infiltrate HYDRA once, so she could probably handle this assignment.

Clint looked unimpressed and Skye could see Tony and Steve exchange a look.

"Do you think that S.H.I.E.L.D would agree to work this mission and not take over?" Steve asked Skye.

"I think that Coulson would welcome the opportunity to gain some good will." Skye said honestly.

"What does everyone say?" Steve asked after a moment.

After a moment everyone agreed to the plan, though Clint was obviously very reluctant.

"You're in charge." Tony told Natasha. "This is your operation, yours and Skye's. Make sure the S.H.I.E.L.D agents know that."

Skye wasn't sure how May would feel about that. After all, only a few months before May had been her SO, so she might not take a role reversal well. Still, May always put S.H.I.E.L.D's well-being first, so Skye was sure they'd be able to work something out.

"Skye, you make the call." Steve told her. "You're in the best position to be our liaison with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Ok." Skye agreed. She felt like it was a good sign that the Avengers were willing to work with S.H.I.E.L.D, even if it was only for one mission. She knew they had their reasons to distrust the organization, but S.H.I.E.L.D had been her first real home and while she was happy with the Avengers, she'd be happier if she could have everyone she cared about in her life.

"Who's going to be the bride?" Tony asked with a smirk, giving Steve a pointed look.

Tony had actually been incredibly restrained about commenting on their relationship, Skye assumed that was Pepper's influence, but he wouldn't be Tony if he didn't make the occasional comment. Besides, he wasn't the only one, as she'd predicted, there had been a lot of good-natured quips about the change in their relationship. Nor had it gone unnoticed that Steve spent most of his nights in Skye's quarters.

"Bobbi still has the ring," Skye answered, giving Tony a dirty look. Her relationship with Steve was moving at the pace she was happy with, she didn't need any interference from outside sources. Besides, Tony was one to talk: it had certainly taken him long enough to propose to Pepper. "Since Pepper's not an option."

Tony glared at her, but Natasha smirked. "I did think about just using Pepper's bachelorette party as the excuse, but she's a little too high-profile." There was also the fact that the wedding was still several months away, but that could probably have been worked around.

* * *

"How do you feel about sending a few operatives in on an Avengers mission?"

Coulson blinked, surprised by the question. "What kind of mission?"

"Natasha and I are going undercover at a spa." Skye told him. "It's a HYDRA front. It offers special pre-wedding packages for bridal parties, so we thought we might blend in better if we had a few extra bodies with us. Maria Hill will be joining us as well, but we'd like May, Jemma and Bobbi to come along."

"Everyone's on board with this?" Coulson asked in surprise. It had been made very clear to him that the Avengers had no desire to work with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Natasha can be persuasive," Skye said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "But yes, everyone's on board, as long as the understanding that this is an Avengers mission."

Which meant that the Avengers were the ones calling the shots. Coulson wasn't thrilled with the sound of that and he knew May wouldn't be either. But this was a peace offering and one that S.H.I.E.L.D couldn't afford to refuse.

"Assuming you accept, I'm going to act as liaison between the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D." Skye continued. "Since I have a relationship with your team."

It was a good choice. Coulson still considered Skye as part of his team and that would make working with the Avengers, on their terms, a little easier to swallow. "I'm going to put Steve on and you can discuss the details with him," Skye told him after a moment.

"Ok." Coulson agreed. "Skye, I'm glad we'll be working with you."

"Me too, AC."

Then Skye was gone and a minute later it was Steve Roger's voice on the line. "Director Coulson?"

"I'm here." Coulson assured him.

"Good, Skye said she filled you in on the mission?" There was an affectionate warmth in Steve Roger's voice when he said Skye's name that had Coulson's eyebrows raising.

"She did." Coulson answered. He paused, hesitating, he didn't want to bring this up, but… "Are you sure she's going to be ok with this type of mission?" He hadn't wanted to mention it to Skye, but they had sent Skye to the Avengers because her powers were a concern.

"We are perfectly confident in Skye's ability to control her powers." Steve told coolly and Coulson realized he had managed to offend his hero. He had the feeling that it wasn't just team comradery between Steve and Skye, but really he didn't want to know.

"I just had to double-check." Coulson said quietly. "You didn't see her after San Juan."

"And you haven't seen her in three months." Steve countered. "However, I understand your concern, but we look after our own and we wouldn't put her in a position that she couldn't handle. I think, we also need to be clear on the fact that this is an Avengers mission. Natasha is in charge of the mission, but Skye is her second. Maria Hill is just doing Natasha a favor, just liked S.H.I.E.L.D is doing the Avengers a favor. The Avengers are leading on this."

From the way he was talking, it sounded like Skye was considered a full member of the team. That was good for her, she needed a place to belong, but Coulson still felt pained that she couldn't find that place with his team. He also wondered how May and Bobbi would feel taking orders from Skye. Well, he'd have to stress how important it was to get the Avengers on board with the new S.H.I.E.L.D.


	26. Chapter 26: Old Meets New

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I'm relieved that Ward does not appear to be a psycho stalker on the show, but in this story he still is. Psycho!Ward makes for a good villain, after all, and it's a big part of where this story is going. Also the Mockingbird/Hawkeye relationship is comic cannon, so I decided to add it as part of their backstory._

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Old Meets New

Skye was a bit nervous as she awaited the arrival of May, Bobbi and Jemma at the Avengers Tower. The women were coming alone since this wasn't officially a S.H.I.E.L.D mission, which was too bad because Skye would have loved to see Coulson and Fitz, and would spend the night at the Avengers Tower as they prepared for the mission.

"You have no reason to be nervous."

Skye turned to see Natasha and Maria Hill standing behind her.

"So much has changed since I saw them last." Skye said with a shrug. "I guess I'm worried that they'll expect me to be the girl I was."

"No one stay the same." Maria said dryly. "The world is constantly changing, Skye, and we have to change with it or be swept away. Anyone in our line of work should understand that."

Skye understood what Maria was saying, but it was easier said than done. "Do you miss it?"

"Nope." Maria told her. "S.H.I.E.L.D was important part of my life, but things had to change and I didn't have the energy to be part of that change."

"You know, there's always a place for you here." Natasha told her.

Skye knew what Maria's response was going to be, the conversation came up every time Maria visited the Avengers.

"No way." Maria said with a laugh. "I'm happy with a desk just at Stark Industries and just pitching in every once in a while. I don't think I could handle the craziness all the time."

"It's actually a lot of fun once you get used to it." Skye said with a grin. "Never a dull moment."

"Yes, but I'm starting to appreciate the dull moments." Maria told her. "I didn't realize how badly I needed a change of pace."

Before Skye or Natasha could respond, JARVIS interrupted. "Miss Skye, your guests have arrived and they are on their way up."

"Thank you JARVIS." Skye told him, though she wasn't sure that they were _her_ guests. Still, she was the liaison between S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers, so maybe they were.

A moment later, the elevator doors opened and Bobbi, May and Jemma got off.

"Skye!" Jemma squealed, running towards her.

"Jemma!" Skye exclaimed enthusiastically, wrapping her friend in a tight hug.

After a moment, she released Jemma and turned to greet May and Bobbi. To her surprise, May greeted her with a very brief hug. With Bobbi, it was a smile and a handshake.

"Agent Hill, Agent Romanoff, good to see you." May greeted the other two women.

"It's just Maria, these days, Melinda." Maria told her firmly. "My agent days are over for good."

May didn't look convinced, but she just nodded.

"Bobbi." Natasha greeted coolly.

"Natasha." The blonde's greeting was just as cool, not surprising given their history. Skye had been surprised to learn that before Budapest and before Lance and Bobbi had started making each other crazy, Clint and Bobbi had been a thing. She wondered if it would be a problem for the mission, but figured Natasha wouldn't have suggested bringing in Bobbi if she couldn't work with her.

"Natasha, I'd like you to meet Jemma." Skye said after a moment, pulling Jemma forward. Maria and Jemma had met before, but she knew from their many talks, that Jemma had never met any of the Avengers.

Natasha smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Skye has told me so much about you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Jemma said politely, seeming a little awed by meeting the famous Black Widow.

"Jemma, you're with me." Skye told her after a moment, "May and Bobbi, we've set you up in one of the guest apartments. We'll get you settled in and then we can meet and go over the details of the mission."

Having the S.H.I.E.L.D agents stay over-night was going to be a little tricky, mostly because no one wanted S.H.I.E.L.D to know about Bucky yet. Skye trusted her old teammates, but she also knew that a lot of people would consider the Winter Soldier a security threat and they didn't want to risk that. So the plan was to keep May and Bobbi to very specific areas of the Tower. Skye trusted Jemma not to say anything, if she and Bucky happened to cross paths.

May nodded. "Sounds good."

The women headed back to the elevator. Skye and Jemma exchanged smiles and Skye knew that they were both eager to be alone so they could catch up. Skye had so much to tell her friend about her life as an Avenger.

* * *

Ward watched the three women enter the Avengers Tower and got the confirmation that he had been waiting for. Skye had to be Quake, why else would May, Simmons and the new girl be visiting the Avengers Tower?

He had been in New York for a couple weeks and hadn't been able to get any confirmation one way or another about the identity of Quake, because it appeared she rarely left the Tower or at least, not by the front door. When the Avengers left on a mission they did so by helicopter from the roof of the Tower. Or by super-powered flight.

The lobby of Stark Tower was easy enough to monitor. There were so many super-hero groupies, that he was able to blend in and he'd managed to set up a few cameras and recorders as well, hoping to catch a glimpse of "Quake" so that he could see for himself whether or not it was Skye.

He found it interesting that she was so reclusive and it made him think that it was Skye and that she was purposely laying low. Was she afraid of her new powers or was she worried about her father? Ward was starting to realize he'd made an error in judgement teaming up with the Doctor. He'd wanted to fulfill his promise to Skye, but in the end he had just driven her away. Now she was probably terrified of him too, afraid he'd bring her back to her father, he'd have to assure that he wouldn't do that. He just wanted her to be happy.

Still, he'd been getting frustrated by the fact that he couldn't confirm one way or another if Skye was Quake and then the female S.H.I.E.L.D agents arrived and he got his answer. So now he knew where Skye was and that meant he could start working on a plan. He just needed to talk to her, he was sure once that happened everything would be perfect and she'd understand that everything he had done was because he loved her.

Yes, once he saw her, it would all be ok, he just had to figure out a plan to get her away from the Avengers and make her listen to him. Then they could finally be together.


	27. Chapter 27: Secrets

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Secrets

"So what do you think?" Skye asked Jemma later that evening after the briefing.

"I can't believe this is your apartment." Jemma told her, looking around. "You can fit all of our living quarters from the Bus on here."

"I know." Skye agreed with a laugh. "After living in my van and then the bus, this was a big change, but I really can't complain."

"No." Jemma agreed. The apartment was incredibly luxurious, just like what she'd seen of the Tower. "Is everyone's apartment like this?"

"They've all been tweaked to meet specific needs." Skye told her. "I haven't spent a lot of time in most of them though, everyone's private areas are their own and we respect that."

Jemma nodded, that made sense. "Has your place been modified?"

"The furniture is all reinforced." Skye told her. "I had an attack my first night here and broke the bed so Tony replaced all the furniture, just in case."

"Didn't the drugs work?" Jemma asked in confusion. They had started sedating Skye immediately after San Juan and they'd had no issue with the drug protocol. Had something changed and had she become resistant to it?

"They don't sedate me." Skye told her quietly. "Bruce… He said in interferes with my training. I need to learn to control my emotions, not suppress them."

It was said without rancor, but Jemma winced anyway. It was a reminder that they hadn't known what to do with Skye and that they'd handled her all wrong.

"I haven't had a nightmare in months," Skye told her. "I've had some bad days, but… I'm doing ok."

Jemma smiled. "I'm glad."

"I mean, I know Ward and my father are still out there," Skye continued, "but I'll face that day when it comes and I know I won't face it alone."

Jemma had noticed during the briefing how well Skye interacted with the Avengers. It was obvious that they all considered her a full member of the team.

"Do the Avengers know about Ward?" Jemma asked quietly.

Skye nodded. "Yes. They know the whole story."

Jemma blinked. As far as she knew she was the only one who Skye had confided in about the true nature of her relationship with Ward.

"Steve convinced me that the others should know," Skye said quietly, "There was no judgement from any of them."

It said something about how comfortable Skye must feel with the Avengers that she could open up to them in a way she couldn't with S.H.I.E.L.D. Jemma knew that Skye had never quite felt like she belonged anywhere, but it seemed like she had finally found that place. It was a little bittersweet for Jemma. She was glad that her friend had found a place to belong, but at the same time she hated that she and Skye would never again be part of the same team.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" Jemma asked quietly. It had been politely requested that the S.H.I.E.L.D agents stay in their quarters. It was obvious that their presence in the Tower wasn't exactly welcome by everyone.

"We'll have dinner here and maybe watch a movie." Skye suggested, though she had a strange look on her face. "Jemma, can you keep a secret?"

"You know I can." Jemma reminded her. After all she had kept the secret about Ward and Skye for months. At times, she'd wondered if she was doing the right thing, especially when she came back from HYDRA and learned that Coulson was making Skye be the one to interact with Ward in his cell. But, she'd understood where Skye was coming from, so she'd respected her friend's wishes and kept her mouth shut.

"This isn't my secret, though." Skye told her. "And it's a big one, but you absolutely can't tell Coulson or May or even Fitz."

"Fitz and I aren't really sharing secrets these days." Jemma said softly. Things hadn't been the same since Ward had dumped them in that capsule. "But I promise, I won't say anything if you don't want me to."  
"Even if it's information S.H.I.E.L.D would want?" Skye challenged.

Jemma paused. She was very loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D, however… "Will S.H.I.E.L.D be harmed by not having this information?" She asked quietly.

"No." Skye told her. "It doesn't hurt anyone. In fact, someone could be hurt if S.H.I.E.L.D found out."

Jemma paused, that didn't sound like Skye. Skye had always believed in Coulson and his vision, so why was she doubting S.H.I.E.L.D?

"We know how S.H.I.E.L.D treats people who are 'other', Jemma." Skye said quietly. "I'm proof of that."

Jemma couldn't argue with that. "So this secret, it involves someone like you?" She asked. "Then, yes, I can keep it a secret." She'd had months to think about how Skye had been treated after San Juan and to regret it.

Skye looked at her and then nodded. "Ok. JARVIS," she called out, "can you let Steve know they can come over?"

"Yes, Miss Skye." The AI responded, Jemma wasn't sure she could ever get used to that.

A moment later, there was a knock on Skye's door. Jemma's confusion must have shown, because Skye smiled. "Steve lives across the hall."

Oh. Well that was certainly convenient, Jemma mused, wondering about the state of Skye's relationship with the big blonde man. Other than confirmation that they were indeed dating, Skye had been pretty quiet about her relationship.

Skye answered the door and Steve stepped inside, but to Jemma's surprise he wasn't alone, a handsome dark haired man was him. He looked vaguely familiar, but he wasn't one of the Avengers.

"Jemma, you've already met Steve," Skye said, "and I'd like you to introduce you to Bucky Barnes."

Jemma blinked. Bucky Barnes? Captain America's Wartime companion, who had died in the 1940s? No wonder he looked familiar, she'd seen the photos of Barnes.

"Otherwise known as the Winter Soldier." Skye added, obviously waiting for Jemma's reaction.

Oh. Jemma had heard of the Winter Soldier, the HYDRA weapon who had surfaced around the time S.H.I.E.L.D had collapsed, but then he had seemingly disappeared and Coulson had decided that it wasn't worth S.H.I.E.L.D's resources to try and track him down. So how had he ended up with the Avengers?

"It's a very long story," Steve told her, obviously reading her mind, "however, it's not one I'd like S.H.I.E.L.D to know. Skye assures me you can keep a secret. This is one you need to keep."

"Yes, sir." Jemma told him, her eyes lingering on Barnes. He had a haunted look to him. "I won't say anything to anyone."

"Not even to May or Bobbi." Skye warned.

Jemma nodded, assuming that was why they had been told not to leave their quarters, so there was no risk of them running into Barnes. Except Skye had introduced him to Jemma, which was quite the show of trust.

Jemma looked at Steve Rogers, who was still watching her warily and knew that it was a sign of his trust on his part as well, but not directed at her. Skye trusted her, so Steve did as well; it showed how deep his feelings for Skye went because it was obvious from his body language how protective he was of Barnes.

"I won't say a word to them," Jemma promised, "or to anyone else."

Barnes smiled and stepped forward. He held out a hand and Jemma noted that the other arm, the one hanging by his side, was mechanical. "Thanks, doll, I appreciate it. It's Jemma, right? You're the scientist? Skye talks about you all the time."

Jemma blushed as she shook his hand. "Only good things I hope."

"Of course." Bucky assured her with a grin, still holding onto her hand "A girl as beautiful as you, how could there be anything but good things to tell?"

Oh. Wow. Jemma fumbled for her words. She had never been very good with flirting. She wasn't totally unexperienced, but it didn't come natural to her like it did to some girls. She looked over at Skye, who looked amused by the whole exchange and at Steve, who was shaking his head and grinning. Jemma's eyes met Skye's and her friend grinned, before loudly asking what everyone wanted for dinner.

Bucky released Jemma's hand and turned his attention back to Skye. Jemma took a moment to gain her composure. She glanced over at Bucky and had a feeling that keeping his identity a secret was the going to be the least of her problems where the former Winter Soldier was concerned…

_A.N- I know Simmons is a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D agent, but I'm writing her as a friend first and I think that after everything, she'd value Skye's judgement. This is a very different Simmons than we're currently seeing (since I hate the direction Simmons is being taken). Also, she switches back and forth between Barnes and Bucky in her head, because she's just starting to get to know him and isn't sure how to think of him._


	28. Chapter 28: Changes

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Changes

"Thank you," Skye told Steve quietly later that night as they washed the dishes.

Bucky and Jemma were talking in the living room. Bucky had been flirting with Jemma all night and Jemma had been shy, but responsive.

"For what?" He asked, putting down the plate he was drying.

"For trusting my instincts." Skye told him, "and coming over here tonight with Bucky."

She knew how protective Steve was of Bucky and how important it was for him to keep Bucky safe and for now, that meant keeping him out of S.H.I.E.L.D's radar.

"I trust you with my life," Steve told her simply, "If you trust Jemma, then I do too." He glanced through the kitchen door. "Besides, I'm glad we came, I haven't seen Bucky this relaxed since before the war." Steve grinned. "He was always happiest when he was flirting with a beautiful woman."

Skye laughed. "It's good for Jemma too, she's pretty reserved and well, there's not a lot of opportunity to meet guys on the Bus." She knew her friend had possibly cared for Tripp as more than a friend, but had never gotten a chance to explore those feelings. Skye felt a flash of pain as she thought of Tripp, deep down she still blamed herself for her his death.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, obviously noticing her change in demeanor.

Skye shook her head. "Just some sad thoughts," she told him, "I was thinking about my friend Tripp, the one who died in the temple. He and Jemma were close."

Steve wrapped his arms around her and Skye leaned against him, drawing comfort from his presence.

"Miss Skye?" JARVIS asked politely.

"Yes JARVIS?" Skye asked, still leaning against Steve.

"Agent May has requested your presence."

Skye made a face. "I should go see what she wants." She told Steve. "I am acting a liaison."

Steve nodded and released her. "I'll collect Bucky and get out of here."

"Don't bother." Skye told him. "May asked for me, not me and Jemma. You guys stay here and entertain Jemma and I'll be back as soon as I can." She didn't want her pleasant evening to end, just yet.

"Ok," Steve agreed, he looked Skye in the eye. "Whatever Agent May as to say to you, don't let you doubt yourself."

Skye knew that Steve had been upset by the fact that Coulson had questioned whether she should be on this mission and she smiled at his protectiveness. "May's pretty reasonable." She told him. "Yes, she was supportive of my leaving S.H.I.E.L.D, but in the end, she was right and it was the best thing for me."

Steve didn't look convinced and Skye knew that he didn't trust May or Bobbi, though he was willing to trust Jemma for her sake. "I just don't want you to doubt yourself." He told her. "We wouldn't have agreed to this mission if we didn't trust you and Natasha to handle it."

"I know." Skye told him and she did. She was slowly starting to feel more secure and comfortable and she owed a lot of that to Steve and his unwavering faith and support.

"JARVIS let Agent May know I'll be down in a moment." Skye told the AI. She gave Steve a quick kiss and then exited her apartment and headed for the elevator.

She wondered what May wanted to speak to her about. While she didn't think May would deliberately undermine her, she knew that the older woman couldn't be comfortable with the parameters of this mission and Skye's role in it. Skye knew how much she'd changed in the three months since she left S.H.I.E.L.D, but did May?

* * *

"Is it just me or is Stark hiding something from us?" Bobbi asked May after they finished the dinner, which had been delivered to their guest suite.

"It's not just Stark." May told her. She had a feeling that the Avengers were all concealing something. They had been very clear about restricting her and Bobbi's access to the Tower and had all been polite, but distant.

It was obvious that while the Avengers had called S.H.I.E.L.D in on this mission, most of them weren't comfortable with the decision.

"It could always be personal," Bobbi said, rolling her eyes, "I'm sure Clint isn't thrilled that I'm here."

May had noticed that as well. Bobbi apparently had that effect on men. Hunter had called her the She-devil and Barton practically snarled at her. However, while there was definite tension between Bobbi and Barton, and to a lesser extent Romanoff, May didn't think that was the reason for the lock-down.

"I'm going to talk to Skye." May told Bobbi and she reached for her door, but it was locked.

"I'm sorry Agent May, but Mr. Stark has requested that you not go anywhere unescorted." The AI informed her.

"I just wanted to go see Skye." May said, though she felt stupid talking to the air.

"The residential floors are restricted only to the residents of those floors." JARVIS told her. "However I will let Miss Skye know that you wish to talk to her."

May thought about pointing out that Simmons had been given access to Skye's floor, but she decided she'd wait to bring it up with Skye.

"Yeah, definitely hiding something." Bobbi told her, plopping down on the couch. "Not that this place isn't comfortable."

The apartment was very nice, May had to admit. "I wonder why Simmons is with Skye?" After all, this guest apartment had three bedrooms, it would have made sense to keep all the S.H.I.E.L.D agents together."

"Skye probably wanted to catch up on the girl talk." Bobbi said with a shrug. "She and Jemma are close. Maybe, she wanted to fill Simmons in on her romance with the handsome Captain."

Yes, May had picked up on that as well. They hadn't been overt, but May noticed that Steve Rogers was constantly watching Skye and had noticed the casual touches and smiles the two exchanged. There was definitely something there.

"Miss Skye is on her way down." JARVIS informed them a moment later.

"Good," May responded, maybe now she could get some answers.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door and then the door opened and Skye entered. "You wanted to see me?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing." May told her honestly. "I was going to check on you, but the AI said that wasn't permitted."

Skye smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, most of the team is pretty resistant to outsiders and they take privacy very seriously." Yet, they had readily accepted an unknown into their midst, May noted. Something wasn't adding up.

"Is Simmons restricted to your apartment?" Bobbi asked.

"Yes." Skye answered easily. She smiled apologetically. "I only have three bedrooms or I would have put you all up. I didn't want one of you to be alone though and I didn't think you'd begrudge me some extra time with Jemma."

"Of course not." May answered. On the surface it seemed reasonable, but she felt like there was more to it than that. Still, she didn't press, she just resolved to ask Simmons about it later. Unlike Skye, Simmons was a terrible liar.

"You look good." Bobbi told Skye after a moment.

"Thanks." Skye said with a smile. "I feel good. It turns out that this was the right place for me."

"So you have your powers under control?" May asked her, remembering how broken Skye had been after San Juan.

"Not only under control, I'm learning to fine tune them." Skye told her. "Thor and Bruce have been helping me. I've also resumed my training, Natasha's working with me."

"You can't get a better teacher than Romanoff," May told her, "though when she was with S.H.I.E.L.D she always refused to take on any rookies. She must see something special in you."

But then Skye was special. May had been doubtful when Coulson had first brought her along, but she'd proved herself time and again. She'd become a valued member of their team and while May was convinced that letting her go was the best thing for everyone, the team wasn't the same without her.

Thar was one of the reasons May had agreed to the mission, even though she'd had doubts when Coulson had informed her Romanoff and Skye would be leading the mission. After all, the Skye who had left S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't been ready for such an operation, but seeing her now and how confident she seemed diminished May's doubts. Skye had obviously changed and May was intrigued to learn just how much.


	29. Chapter 29: The Mission

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

_A.N- Sorry for the delay, the last few weeks have been crazy with end of semester work. I'm taking summer courses, so updates will be scarce until July and then I begin my life as a Stay-at-Home mom. I've also started the companion story to "So You're the One", it's called "Nice to Meet You" and it's posted here. The other reason this chapter took so long to write was that I was a bit stuck, I didn't love the last chapter and was trying to figure out where to go with this one. The action stuff is still tricky for me._

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Mission

"Cool Breezes Inn and Spa is a high class women-only resort," Natasha told the group of women as they prepared to depart for their mission, "but it's also a HYDRA front. They use it as a clandestine way to pass on information."

"What's our goal?" May asked.

"Hopefully intercept some of that information." Natasha answered. "The more information that we can get HYDRA, the better equipped we are to fight them." She looked at May and Bobbi. "Our agreement with S.H.I.E.L.D is that in return for your participation on this mission, we'll share the intel."

That was the part that some of the Avengers had had a real problem with and the compromise was that S.H.I.E.L.D would get raw data, they'd have to decode it on their own.

"We're going in as a wedding party having a pre-wedding girl's weekend," Skye explained, "Bobbi's our bride and the rest of us are her bridesmaids."

Bobbi was not actually wearing her own engagement ring, because it had been decided that since Cool Breezes catered to an upscale clientele, the ring had to be appropriately ostentatious. So Tony had provided one.

"Tasha got information that a group of female HYDRA agents are poised to arrive at the spa," Skye informed the S.H.I.E.L.D agents, "this obviously means that they are going to be picking up information. We want to intercept that information. The problem? We really don't know what or who we're looking for."

Jemma looked concerned. "But then how do we do the mission?"

"We observe everything." May told her, she looked at Skye. "And I assume you have a plan to hack into their information system?"

"Not yet, but I'll figure it out once I have an idea of what I'm looking at." Skye confirmed, she turned to Jemma. "May's right. We observe everything and pick up on body language cues. This is where you and I are the novices, everyone else has year of field experience though and they know what to look for."

She was learning quickly and she'd had great teachers, but at the same time she'd been doing this for less than two years. She didn't have the skills that came with years of experience. At least not yet and she was willing to admit it.

"Don't underestimate yourself." May told her. "There have been many times where your lack of formal training has given you the perspective needed to complete the mission."

Compliments from May were rare and Skye fought the urge to blush. She'd come a long way since joining S.H.I.E.L.D but May's approval still meant a lot to her. While the older woman was no longer was her SO, she would always be someone Skye admired and strived to emulate.

"Let's go," Natasha said after a moment, "the spa awaits us."

* * *

"Welcome to Cool Breezes." A good looking man in a suit greeted. "I'm James, the manager here. Which one of you is Miss Hart?"

"I am." Bobbi said, stepping forward and shaking his hand. She'd added a bit of a twang to her voice as part of her cover.

"I'll show you to your suite." James told them. "I see you've booked the full package."

"Yes," Bobbi said with a smile, "Daddy wanted to make sure I had lots of rest and relaxation before the wedding."

"Well, at Cool Breezes we cater to your every need," James assured her leading them to an elevator. They got out on the top floor. "This is our deluxe suite. Inside you'll find your itinerary, if there are any changes you'd like to make, let us know."

"You're so sweet." Bobbi gushed. "This wedding planning has been so demanding and I'm just looking forward to some 'me' time with the girls."

"That's what we're here for." James told her. "Someone will bring your bags up shortly."

After he left, the women turned to each other.

"There are 3 bedrooms," Natasha explained, "So we're all doubling up."

"Skye and I can room together," May spoke up before Skye could volunteer to room with Jemma. "It would give us a chance to catch up." She explained, catching Skye's look of surprise.

Skye nodded. She would be comfortable rooming with Jemma, partially because her friend now knew a possibly dangerous secret. She trusted Jemma, but at the same time she worried that if Bobbi or May suspected something was up they'd try to get the information out of Jemma, who still had a hard time lying to people she cared about.

"I'll room with Jemma," Natasha volunteered, she smiled at the younger woman, "It would give us a chance to get to know each other and Skye has told me so much about you."

Skye saw a frown cross Bobbi's face briefly and had a feeling that Bobbi had intended to press Jemma for information, which meant that May and Bobbi were suspicious. Still the blonde smiled. "I guess it's you and me."

"I guess so." Maria agreed companionably.

Natasha crossed the room and picked up the binder that was on the table. "This is our itinerary. This afternoon we all have different activities scheduled, which should allow us to a good look at the place and hopefully access the facility and the staff. I assume that not everyone is HYDRA, just a few key people. We need to figure out who. We'll all have dinner together. Dinner is open and we'll have a chance to mingle with the other guests."

"And figure out who may be HYDRA." May added. "And hopefully at some point Skye will be able to assess the information system."

"I have a tennis lesson first thing," Skye told her, "the plan is to trip and fall and get a good look at the infirmary, but also hopefully be left alone for a few minutes."

"Be careful." May cautioned.

"I will be." Skye promised.

"All right ladies, let's settle in and then go get pampered." Maria announced. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been looking forward to a relaxing spa trip on Stark's dime."


	30. Chapter 30: Mission Complete

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I was struggling with the mission, so I finally decided to skip over it. Otherwise, I'm not sure when I would have updated. I don't love this chapter, but I do like the turn the plot is taking and for the first time in weeks, I have clear ideas for the next few chapters. Oh and for a reminder, this is AU after 2x10, so nothing about Age of Ultron or the second half of AoS season 2 effect this story._

Chapter Thirty: Mission Complete

The undercover mission went surprisingly smoothly and they got in and out without their cover being blown, but with the information they needed.

Skye used a bug that Tony had designed and had dropped it in the medical unit her first day and within 24 hours, it had infiltrated the main-frame and sent the information back to the Tower for Tony to decode.

Natasha had managed to accurately identify the HYDRA agents and managed to switch out the information that was changing hands, with back-up from May.

The women had also managed to enjoy the spa and Skye had enjoyed catching up with the members of her old team. It had been nice having the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D work side by side, though Skye doubted it would be a regular occurrence any time soon. The male members of the Avengers were a lot more stubborn than the female ones.

Still, the mission had gone well and Skye promised to send the un-decoded data to S.H.I.E.L.D that night as she parted ways with Jemma, Bobbi and May.

"You look good," Bobbi told her, "Happy."

"I am." Skye confirmed.

"I bet the handsome Captain doesn't hurt." Bobbie teased.

"No." Skye agreed. Speaking of Steve, she was looking forward to getting home and seeing him.

Jemma gave her a tight hug. "Keep in touch."

"I will." Skye promised. "And maybe you can come visit soon."

If Coulson was agreeable, Skye knew that the Avengers would be ok with it and she was sure Bucky would like to see Jemma again. There was a slight blush on her friend's face that made it clear Jemma's thoughts had wandered in the same direction.

If Bobbi or May picked up on it, they didn't ask. Instead, May gave Skye a hug. "Take care of yourself." She instructed.

"I will." Skye promised.

May just nodded and then the three women were gone.

"Is it hard to say goodbye?" Natasha asked sympathetically.

"Yes," Skye agreed, "But not as hard as I thought it would be. I thought I'd want to go with them, but… I can't wait to get home."

Somewhere along the line 'home' had become the Avengers Tower. It was still terrifying, because Skye was too used to not belonging anywhere, but she was slowly starting to get comfortable.

A part of her would always miss her old team and wish she could have stayed with them, but… The Avengers had become her team, her family.

Natasha grinned. "I have it on a good authority that we're going to be subjected to a welcome home party."

Skye rolled her eyes. "Formal dinner?"

"Pepper wouldn't give me details." Natasha told her. She turned to Maria. "Are you going to stay for the festivities?"

"No way." Maria said with a laugh. "Honestly, I don't know how you two do it. I think living with Stark would drive me crazy."

"Tony's different, but he means well." Skye said fondly. "Honestly, I think he knows that most of us… We didn't have a normal. Our upbringings weren't anything to write home about, so I think he tries to supply what we missed out on. He just does it in a crazy, over-the-top way, because, well, he's Tony."

* * *

As soon as Skye stepped into the Avengers Tower, she was in Steve's arms.

She was a little surprised, since Steve was a very private guy and pretty reserved when it came to displays of public affection. Apparently he had missed her as much as she'd missed him.

"Did you have fun?" He asked her when he released her, though he kept his arm around her.

It was just the Avengers. Pepper, Jane, Darcy and Bucky all seemed to be elsewhere, probably because they had no interest in the mission debrief.

"It was the best mission I've ever been on." Skye told him. "I want more missions like that."

"Me too." Natasha agreed. "It was glorious. Three days of pampering and no one shot at us once."

"Why do I never get to go on the missions like that?" Sam protested. "I've been here a year and I haven't once been sent to a spa."

"You get to live rent-free in a building with top-of-the line facilities." Clint pointed out.

"That's true." Sam conceded with a grin. "I guess it is a pretty cushy gig. But next time a weekend of rest and relaxation comes up, I want in."

"Did you start decoding the information?" Skye asked Tony, going back to the matter at hand.

"Yes.' He told her and then she saw him exchanging a look with Steve. "We're going to have to back-out of our deal with S.H.I.E.L.D, at least partially."

"What do you mean?" Skye asked. "We said we'd give them the un-coded data."

"We can't." Steve told her. "Not all of it. You either have to code it so they can never crack it or we have to remove it and make it look like it was never there."

"There's information on Bucky." Skye realized quietly.

"Yes." Steve confirmed.

Skye looked at him and then at Natasha and Tony and realized that the three of them had been expecting that information. Which meant they'd known all along that they couldn't go through on their deal with S.H.I.E.L.D, at least not entirely.

"You knew that we weren't going to be completely honest with S.H.I.E.L.D." She accused.

She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Steve dropped his arm from around her waist and put his hand on her shoulder instead. "We suspected that there was information on Bucky, yes," he confirmed.

"The files contain information on what HYDRA put him through, but also on their efforts to track him and down reprogram him." Tony continued. "I don't think I have to tell you why it was important for us to have that information and why we don't want S.H.I.E.L.D. having it."

Skye bit her lip. She still trusted Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D, but did she trust them enough to risk Bucky's life?

"You could have told me." She protested. "After all, I'm supposed to be part of the team."

"That was my call," Natasha told her, "I knew May and Bobbi would be focused on you, trying to figure out what you were hiding and I figured the less you knew, the better."

"Did Maria know?" Skye asked.

Natasha shook her head. "No. Only Tony, Steve and I knew that there might be information about the Winter Solider on those files."

"This is the first I'm hearing about it too." Bruce told her, speaking up. "I knew that you girls were retrieving classified information, but that was it." He looked at Tony and Steve. "I wasn't thrilled about with working with S.H.I.E.L.D., but I'm even less happy about double-crossing them."

"We're not exactly double-crossing them," Tony protested, "We're just withholding information. Something that S.H.I.E.L.D does all too well. They're getting the information we promised, just not all of it." He looked at Skye. "What should we do? Decode the files so they can't access them or remove them all together?"

"What if we give them the cracked-data?" Skye said instead. "We take out the stuff about Bucky, but give them the rest free and clear. They won't know anything is missing and they won't have suspicious double-locked data to make them curious."

She could see the others considering her words.

"I agree with the Lady Quake," Thor told her, "It protects our friend, but it is also a peace offering to Son of Coul. I have learnt that it is not wise to alienate future allies."

"I don't have any problems with that." Steve said.

Tony shrugged. "Sure." He nodded to Skye. "Send the information to Coulson and tell him it's a bonus for being so agreeable." He grinned. "Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about tonight's party."


	31. Chapter 31: Don't Let Fear Ruin Your LIf

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- Sorry for the long delay. Life is crazy and writer's block has been awful. I know how I want this story to end, but I'm still not quite sure how to get there. It's been frustrating. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back on track soon and have this story finished by the end of July. Thank you everyone for your patience. For the reader you asked for more Psycho Ward, I promise you that it's coming, starting with the next chapter right up through the conclusion. I just find his chapters kind of redundant, so I've been spacing them out. It is also building to the conclusion though._

Chapter Thirty-Two: Don't Let Fear Run Your Life

"Are you mad at me?" Steve asked Skye later once they were in her apartment. They had an hour or so before the party and Skye just wanted to spend it with Steve and not talking about the mission, but apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"No." She told him. She wasn't thrilled that she'd been kept out of the loop and it felt wrong double-crossing S.H.I.E.L.D, though she knew they were doing it to protect Bucky. "I get it though, you're in charge and that means you can't always tell me everything."

"I promise not to keep anything from you that could hurt you," Steve told her, "But yes, sometimes I'm going to have to make decisions like this, for the sake of the mission."

"Pitfalls of dating my boss, I guess." Skye quipped.

"I'm not your boss." Steve objected.

"No, but you are the leader of the Avengers," Skye pointed out, "it's ok. I obviously have a thing for authority figures, after all, the last guy I got involved with was my SO."

It was rare for her to mention Ward casually, she tried not to even think about him. But to her surprise, the reference didn't bring the old shame and pain. She had moved on. She'd made a mistake, yes, but Ward was the one that had lied and deceived, she'd just fallen for his act.

"I'm sorry that we're putting you in the middle and making you lie to S.H.I.E.L.D." Steve told her after a moment.

"I know." Skye told him. "When I joined the team, I agreed to give the Avengers my loyalty and cut ties with S.H.I.E.L.D and I'm not naive, I knew that there would be secrets. It's just hard, because S.H.I.E.L.D was the first home I ever had. They were the first people to ever earn my loyalty."

"I hope we have too," Steve said quietly.

"You have." Skye assured him. "I don't think of myself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D any longer, I think of myself as an Avenger. But it's still weird to work against them."

"I'm hoping you won't have to in the future," Steve told her, "Your mission was successful and it could lead to more co-operation between us and S.H.I.E.L.D in the future."

"But we'll still have two separate agendas," Skye pointed out. She held up a hand before Steve could say anything. "It's ok, I'm a big girl and I understand that it has to be that way, it's just weird."

"How was it working with your old team again?" Steve asked her.

"That was weird too." Skye admitted. "I instinctively turned to Natasha, not May for back-up and advice. It was nice seeing the girls again, though. I've missed them."

"You're not a prisoner here, Skye," Steve told her, "I'm sure we can arrange for you to see your friends again."

Skye smiled. "I'd love to see Fitz again and Coulson." She wanted Coulson in particular to see that she was ok, that she was actually thriving in her new life. "However, it's not that easy. We're in demanding fields of work, it's hard to fit in time for a quick visit." She sighed. "Plus I'm not sure that I'm ready to leave the Tower."

"You did well on the mission," Steve pointed out.

"At a woman's only resort, surrounded by the most badass women I know," Skye told him. "And I'm ok when I go out on missions with the team and I manage girls' nights, because Natasha and Pepper don't give me a choice, but I'm still afraid."

She wasn't used to feeling like this. She wasn't a timid person, but the idea that Ward and her father were still out there, just waiting for their opportunity to grab her _again _terrified her.

"I know." Steve told her, wrapping his arms around her. "I hate that he makes you feel this way."

Skye leaned on Steve, taking in his strength and comfort. "I'm probably being silly," she admitted, "it's been months. There's no evidence that Ward is still out there waiting for me and last time I saw him, I made it pretty clear that I wasn't interested, so he might have gotten the message."

That was what the rational part of her brain told her anyway.

"What does your gut say?" Steve asked quietly.

"That he's still out there." She told him softly. "That he's just waiting for the right moment."

"I believe in listening to your instincts," Steve told her, "But I also don't think fear should rule your life. You're safe here, Skye, and you have a few tricks up your sleeve that you didn't have the last time you and Ward crossed paths." He pushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "I will do everything in my power to make sure he never hurts you again, but if he were to come after you… I'd put my money on you."

Skye smiled. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

She realized how silly she was letting her fear of Ward control her life. She had super powers and she lived with the Avengers. It wasn't like she was helpless. Still, it was hard to shake.

"We can start small," Steve told her, "How would you like to go to Brooklyn with me this week? I can show you the old neighborhood, though it's definitely changed."

"I'd like that." Skye assured him. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss and then pulled back with a grin. "We need to go get ready for the party."  
"Do we have to?" Steve groaned.

Skye laughed. "It'll be fun."

She usually enjoyed Tony's parties. They ranged from everything from fancy dinners to pool parties in the tower's pool complex and while some of the Avengers' groaned, Skye knew that secretly her teammates enjoyed it too. As she'd told Maria and Natasha, most of them had been denied a normal upbringing and this was Tony's very over-the-top way of making up for that.

* * *

_A.N2- I couldn't decide what kind of party I wanted Tony to throw, if anyone has suggestions I might put in next chapter as fluff before I get to the crazy stuff or make a short one-shot side story. _


	32. Chapter 32: Love and Obsession

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I just couldn't get a good idea for a party scene, at least not one that fit smoothly into this chapter, so I skipped it. I think I'm going to write one as a little stand-alone side story. This chapter is a mix of fluff and creepy. Sorry to bring down the fluff, but the combination just worked too well for me to ignore._

Chapter Thirty-Three: Love and Obsession

"That used to be a barber shop," Steve told Skye pointing to a small café. "And there was a small market, right over there."

They were having their day in Brooklyn. Walking hand in hand down the streets, as Steve pointed out the sites from his youth, though very little remained.

"Is it weird?" Skye asked him. "Seeing how much things have changed?"

"It was at first," Steve admitted, "And sometimes I feel like a relic, but I'm starting to feel like I was given a second chance for a reason." He smiled. "It's easier now that I know Bucky's all right."

Skye smiled. Bucky was slowly adjusting to life in the 21st Century and according to Steve, he was starting to act more like his old self. The Avengers hadn't decided what to do with him though. He would be an asset in the field, but there was the problem of HYDRA coming after him as well as the concern that S.H.I.E.L.D would label him a threat. For now, they were biding time and he was training with Steve and learning about the changes that happened over the last 70 years, but Skye had a feeling that a decision would have to be made soon.

"I got beat up in that alley over there," Steve said after a moment, a smile on his face, "and that one there. Probably on pretty much street in Brooklyn."

"That's hard to imagine," Skye admitted, looking at him. She'd seen the pictures of Steve Rogers before his transformation and she'd heard Steve and Bucky's stories about those days, but it was still hard to picture the strong, vital man beside her as a scrawny punk who didn't know when to run away.

"**This** is pretty hard to imagine," Steve countered, "If you'd told me then that I'd be walking through the old neighbourhood hand in hand with a beautiful woman, I'd have passed out. Not even touching the time-travel aspect. I wasn't exactly a hit with the ladies back then."

"That was there loss," Skye told him softly, "The serum made you taller, made you stronger, but it didn't change you. From everything I've read, everything Bucky's told me… You were just as amazing before you became Captain America." She smiled up at him. "I like to think that if we had met then, I would have seen it."

"I think you would have." Steve told her softly. There was a faraway look in his eyes and she knew he was thinking of Peggy Carter, who by all accounts had realized how special Steve was **before** he had become Captain America. "You have a knack for seeing the best in people, Skye."

"I'm not sure that's true." Skye said, shrugging off the compliment. "I just… I know what it's like to be an outsider and I guess it makes me sympathetic."

"It makes you special," Steve told her as they kept walking and then suddenly he pulled into her one of the alleys.

"I used to live here." Steve told her, he said, pointing to the old pre-war building. "You asked me if it was weird being back here. The answer is yes, not just because so much changed, but because it feels like it was another life. When I first woke up, I was still mentally stuck in the past, after all it still felt like the present for me and then I felt lost, a man out of time, but I don't feel that way anymore. Thanks to you, I'm looking towards the future."

Skye just nodded, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the moment.

"This isn't the moment romantic setting," Steve admitted, "but it felt right." He took her hand in his and looked directly into her eyes. "Skye, I might be adjusting to this new time, but in a lot of ways, I guess I'm still old-fashioned and I believe that when you're in love, marriage is the logical step. I know we haven't known each other all that long, but it's been long enough to know that I want to spend the rest of my life making you smile. Will you marry me?"

"Yes." Skye answered, the words pouring out before she had a chance to think. But what was there to think about? She loved Steve with all her heart and she knew he loved her. After a life time of disappointments and feeling like she never belonged anywhere, she had finally found her happy ending. She had a purpose and a surrogate family with the Avengers and now she was going to get the happy ending with her very own superhero.

It was almost too perfect and the cynical part of Skye, the one that had been hurt too many times, wondered when the other shoe was going to drop. But as Steve leaned down and kissed her gently, it was easy to silence that part of her and focus on the moment.

0

* * *

Unbeknownst to Skye and Steve, they were being watched from a distance.

Ward seethed as he watched Captain America pull Skye in for a kiss. Skye was **his** dammit. He had to resist the urge to run in there now and claim her, but he knew that he had to bide his time.

Skye was obviously confused and hurt and obviously she had turned to Captain America for comfort and he had taken advantage of that. Ward knew how vulnerable Skye was, how desperate to be loved and that was why he didn't blame her.

Besides, whatever she thought she felt for Steve Rogers, it wasn't real. Ward knew that. Skye loved **him** and they were meant to be together, she was just confused…

Still as he watched them, Ward knew he had to move up his plans. He had to get Skye alone, away from the Avengers, and then once they were together… Well, everything would be ok. Surely, she'd remember then, how special it was between them.

The only problem was how was he going to get to her? He'd been so thrilled this morning when he'd seen her leave the building on her own, it was the first time he'd seen her up close since San Juan. He'd been so elated that it had taken him a moment to realize that she wasn't alone. Steve Rogers had been with her and that was when he'd noticed the entwined hands and his rage had started to build.

Still, he'd managed to keep his temped under control and his wits about them. He'd followed them from a discreet distance. Rogers had heightened senses, but there was a reason Ward had been a top S.H.I.E.L.D agent and he'd managed to blend into the crowd. Besides, the couple had been so wrapped up in each other, that they weren't alert as they should have been.

It had been torture for Ward to watch them, to see the easy way Skye had acted with the blonde man. The way she'd smiled at him and let him touch her. But he'd reminded himself that he and Skye had been part for a long time and that he'd found comfort elsewhere, so he couldn't blame her for doing the same.

Besides, they'd be together soon and when that happened, Ward was sure he could make her forget all about Steve Rogers. He just had to figure out how he was going to make that happen.

He hated to admit it, but he couldn't do it alone any longer. He was going to have to call in back-up. The question was, did he call the Doctor in, and deal with his very unpredictable nature, or did he look to other contacts?


	33. Chapter 33: Celebration

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- This is pure fluff. The not so fluffy stuff starts in the next chapter, but I thought we needed some time to celebrate the engagement. This time without an appearance by our resident psycho. Enjoy!_

Chapter Thirty-Four: Celebration

When Skye and Steve returned to the Avengers Tower, JARVIS informed them that Mr. Stark wanted to see them in his private quarters.

"I wonder what's going on." Skye wondered as she and Steve took the elevator.

Steve just smiled and kept his arm around her.

"You know something?" Skye accused, but he remained silent. A moment later the elevator doors opened and as soon as Skye and Steve stepped into the penthouse, Skye saw the big banner "Congratulations Skye and Steve!" and all their friends gathered around.

"Congratulations!" Pepper said, rushing to her. "Welcome to your engagement party."

"You knew?" Skye asked, giving Steve a look.

"Tony helped me get the ring." He told her. "And he insisted on throwing us a party to celebrate."

"What if I had said no?" Skye joked.

"Then we would have whisked you away for an intervention and told you that you were an idiot,"Natasha told her cheerfully. "But we all knew that wouldn't happen."

"No." Skye agreed. She smiled at Steve. "The thought never even occurred to me."

"It occurred to me." Steve admitted. "I was a little worried that you might think I was rushing you."

"That's because you're a worrier," Bucky said with a laugh, stepping forward to kiss Skye on the cheek, "Congratulations doll, though I should be saying that to Stevie—he's a very lucky man."

"Thank you." Skye said with a smile. "I think most people would say I'm the lucky one though."

"You're both lucky," Bruce said warmly, "It's a wonderful thing to find the person that completes you." There was a wistfulness in his voice and Skye felt bad for him. She knew that there had been a woman in his past, but she didn't know any of the details and she didn't want to pry.

"I wish you much happiness Lady Skye," Thor told her, "the Captain is one of the finest warrior's I have ever met and a truly honorable man. You two are truly a worthy match."

"That's his way of saying congratulations," Jane said with a grin, "and letting you know how happy we all are for you."

There was a wistfulness in Jane's voice and Skye squeezed her friend's hand, understanding where she was coming from. She knew Jane wanted to get married, but that she was still wary about going back to Asgard and Thor was unwilling to get married without formally present Jane to court and following all the Asgardian customs. So at the moment they were at a stalemate.

"I'm happy to host the wedding," Tony offered a few minutes later, once everyone had congratulated them and the women had all admired Skye's ring. "Whatever you want, it's yours. The sky's the limit, obviously."

Skye smiled at the pun and then looked over at Steve. "Actually, we want to keep it very quiet." She responded. "Just a simple ceremony. No fuss. We don't see the need for a big wedding. After all, neither one of us has any family, at least not any biological family." She refused to consider her psycho father as her family, which meant the only family she had were the people in this room and her old team.

While she knew the world would go crazy over the idea of an Avengers wedding, especially one featuring Captain America, she wanted nothing to do with that. She didn't want a wedding full of strangers and the idea of that much press and attention terrified her.

She knew they'd have to make some sort of announcement, but they could do it after the fact. Besides, she'd never been one to fantasize about getting married and the big, flashy wedding just didn't hold much appeal for her. She wanted something simple.

The only issue was the guest list. Ideally, Skye would like to have Jemma stand up for her and Steve wanted Bucky, but that presented a problem. Skye would feel bad inviting Jemma and not the rest of the ream and she knew that they would be hurt to be excluded from her wedding, especially Coulson. However, at the same time, they weren't supposed to know about Bucky and there was no way they could exclude Bucky from the wedding, which left them with a problem.

Still, it was a problem for another day, right now Skye was too happy to worry. She just wanted to relax and celebrate her happiness with the people she loved and that meant she had a phone call to make.

* * *

Coulson was briefing his team on the information that was in the HYDRA files that had been recovered from the women's mission.

"It seems to mostly be information about people of interest," he told them, "Assets and potential threats that HYDRA was watching out for, but there is a lot of information on gifted and potentially gifted people here, we just need to go through it all."

"Why do you think the Avengers gave us the decoded files?" Bobbi asked. "I thought we were going to have to decrypt them ourselves."

Coulson had wondered about that. He knew May found it suspicious and thought that the Avengers were hiding something, though she admitted that she didn't know what. He didn't know either, but it seemed likely there had been something in the files they had wanted them to know about. The question was what? Before he could answer Bobbi's question, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi A.C."

Coulson smiled at the familiar voice. "Hi Skye."

Jemma and Fitz both perked up at the mention of Skye's name and Coulson knew they would want a chance to talk to her.

"Can you put me on speaker?" Skye asked him. "I have some news to share."

Coulson was curious, but did as instructed. Skye was their only contact with the Avengers and he knew that any information, or gestures of good will, would come from her, though he assumed that they would be run by him first before presented to the team.

"Hi Skye!" Jemma and Fitz both called out and then the others added their greetings.

"Hi everyone," Skye said, "I wanted to call and share my good news with you. I'm getting married."

Coulson was stunned.

There was a squeal from Jemma and then a rush of congratulations.

"Who?" He asked and then realized that it was a dumb question. May had filled him in on the apparent relationship between Skye and Steve Rogers.

"I'm the lucky man." A deep voice answered, confirming Coulson's suspicions.

So Skye was marrying Captain America. There was something very comforting about that idea actually. Skye was like a daughter to him and he wanted the best for her, especially after the way she'd been hurt in the past, and well Captain America was certainly that.

There was also the added bonus that if Ward was still obsessed with Skye, and Coulson had no reason to think differently, then he would have to go through Captain America to get to her. It was a very comforting thought.

"I'm very happy for you, Skye," Coulson told her.

"Thank you A.C." She replied and he could hear the happiness in her voice and it made him smile. It also assured him that he had done the right thing sending Skye to the Avengers. It had been hard for him to send her away, but he had believed it was for the best. She'd needed a place where she would fit in instead of stand out and where she could learn to embrace her gifts and it seemed that she'd found that and so much more.


	34. Chapter 34: A Girls Night to Remember

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I edited this chapter, because I realized it didn't quite work for me and then I had a brainstorm about where I wanted to take this, so I tweaked the Ward part a bit. _

Chapter Thirty-Five: A Girls' Night to Remember

"Girls night tonight." Natasha told Skye a few nights after the engagement party. "We're celebrating your engagement."

"We already did that," Skye reminded her, "there was a party, remember?"

"There are **always** parties," Natasha said with a laugh, "besides that was everyone. This is just the girls," she grinned, "and there may be a few extra guests because apparently S.H.I.E.L.D has a mission in New York."

"Jemma's in town?" Skye asked excitedly.

"Yeah, she called to talk to you, but JARVIS told her you were, um, occupied," Natasha said with a knowing grin, "So I got the call instead. She and May and Bobbi will meet us at the bar tonight."

"Sounds like fun." Skye admitted. The girls nights always made her a little nervous because she felt so much more vulnerable whenever she left the Tower, but Natasha was always there and that made her feel more secure.

"But first, training," Natasha told her with a smile, "I'll go easy on you though, because you have powers training this afternoon."

"You're just hoping I knock Tony on his ass again," Skye said with a laugh as she followed her friend towards the gym.

"I do love it when you do that." Natasha agreed. "But I think you're actually up against Bucky today. Tony and Bruce both want to test out how his arm is doing and he's a pretty good opponent for your power."

Skye had managed control over her powers and was still working on fine-tuning them and to help her do that, she trained with various members of the team, testing her skill set against theirs. The only person she'd never gone up against was the Hulk, for obvious reasons, though there was a theory that she might be able to neutralize him if she concentrated her powers.

After all, she targeted sound waves and that included brain waves, so Bruce theorized that she could render a person unconscious if she concentrated, but there was also the worry that she could also kill them if she applied enough force, so they had yet to test that theory out. Even in battle, Skye focused her powers on the environment, not on people, unless it was to knock someone off balance.

She just didn't want to take the risk of killing someone and she knew that she'd never test that aspect of her powers unless she was in a life and death situation and there was no other option.

0

* * *

Ward watched the Avengers Tower, more out of habit than anything else. He was starting to realize that the odds of getting Skye leaving Tower on her own were slim, which meant he needed another plan.

With that knowledge in mine, he had found an ally. He'd realized that working with Skye's father was a bad idea, because not only was Cal unpredictable, doing so might just further alienate Skye. But at the same time, he couldn't take on the Avengers alone, which had left him an issue.

He had burnt most of his HYDRA bridges when he'd taken down Bashiki. Besides, Skye would never forgive him for working with HYDRA again, he had to prove to her that that part of his life was behind him, which had left him with only few options.

Still, he had a few other avenues to explore and one of those had hit pay-dirt. He had made contact with a source who was willing to help him, for a price. Ward wasn't thrilled with the terms, but he had plenty time of to figure out a way to back out of the deal, since it was a long-term proposal. Besides, accepting the offer meant he had access to money and man-power, which he admitted he'd need to go against the Avengers.

Now that he had resources, he just had to come up with a strategy and he had done just that, putting several plans in place. The issue was figuring out which one to implement.

Ideally, he would grab Skye on her own as she left the Tower, but that never happened. She left rarely and never on her own. There was her outing with Steve Rogers, the memory of which still made Ward rage, but there also appeared to be regular girls nights, though he had never gotten close enough in the past to confirm her presence, but it seemed likely.

However, Natasha Romanoff was always present during the girls' trips and that was a serious obstacle. Ward had worked with Romanoff briefly and despite his eye-candy crack, he knew exactly how deadly she could be in the field. There was a reason she had been considered the best. He might be able to overtake her, but it would be a drawn-out battle and would require a little luck, and even if he did over-power Romanoff, it would take long enough that the other women would be able to call in reinforcements. So taking Skye at girls' night wasn't an option.

Or was it?

"It's too bad Tash got called away," he heard the pretty brunette, he thought her name was Darcy, say into the bug he had placed in one of the potted trees by the Towers' entrance.

"I know." Skye said, making a face, "But apparently there's an urgent need for information, the type that only Tash can retrieve. I offered to cancel, but…"

"She told you to go for it," Pepper interrupted, "And well she should, this night is about you Skye. We're celebrating you."

Ward's jaw tightened at the words, he could guess what they were celebrating, but he forced himself to stay calm. This might be the opening he'd been looking for.

"Besides, you rarely get to see your friends," Jane pointed out, "they'd be disappointed if we cancelled."

The women passed out of earshot of his bug, but Ward had heard enough. Natasha Romanoff was not with them. However, it sounded like they were meeting up with the S.H.I.E.L.D team and Ward didn't want to tangle with May again, which meant he had a small window of opportunity to work with.

However, he was prepared. Even though it had seemed unlikely that he would be able to catch Skye by herself, he had prepared a plan for that eventuality and he was ready to implement it.

The other women weren't threats. None of them were combat trained. No, without Natasha Romanoff or another member of the Avengers he should be able to get Skye out of the car and away without an issue, but he had to work fast.

Ward smiled as he went into action mode. This was just the type of scenario he had been waiting for. Soon the waiting would be over and he and Skye would be together again and everything would be the way it was supposed to be.


	35. Chapter 35: Need to Know Basis

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- I went back and changed the last chapter because I had a revelation about who Ward was working with (it'll be revealed next chapter). It also means that this story is likely going to be longer than I expected. Maybe 15-20 more chapters in total. But good news is that school's done, the house is getting settled and in a few weeks my baby will be in school (sob) and I'll be able to write more regularly._

Chapter Thirty-Six: Need to Know Basis

"Mr. Stark, the car carrying Ms. Potts and the others was in an accident," JARVIS announced, sounding quite alarmed. "I have her on the line and he sounds quite distressed."  
Everyone in the room went into high alert. They had been discussing battle tactics and some of the data Skye and Natasha had achieved, but now Steve knew they were all on edge.

Clint and Natasha was off questioning a source, trying to get more information, and the rest of the woman had been on their way to meet the women of S.H.I.E.L.D for a girls' night.

"Pepper? Are you there?" Tony asked frantically.

"I'm ok." She assured him, but she sounded tearful. "Tony, Skye's gone."

For a second Steve felt time stop. He just stood there frozen. He could feel Bucky's good hand gripping his shoulder, but mostly he was just replaying the words in his head. Skye was gone.

"What happened?" Sam demanded.

Steve still couldn't speak.

"A car cut us off and then another car slammed into us." Pepper told him. "Skye was on alert immediately, but then the door opened and I think she went to use her powers, but the guy, he jammed her with something and knocked her out and he pulled her out of the car. Darcy pulled her out taser, but it was too late. It happened fast. This had to have been planned."

"It was Ward." Steve said quietly, his fear quickly being replaced with rage. "Ward's the one who took her."

"It seems likely from what Skye told us," Bruce agreed.

"Pepper get back here immediately." Tony ordered.

"We're on our way." Pepper told him. "Darcy hailed us a cab."

"She and Jane are safe?" Thor enquired.

"Yes, we're all safe." Pepper replied. "They only wanted Skye."

More evidence that it was Ward who was behind the attack.

"We should call S.H.I.E.L.D." Bruce said after a moment. "We know they're in town and Ward used to be a member of Coulson's team, they may have a better idea of what he's capable of."

"I agree." Steve said immediately, on board that would help them find Skye sooner.

"What about," Tony asked, gesturing towards Bucky.

"I can handle S.H.I.E.L.D." Bucky said meeting Steve's gaze without flinching. "We need to find Skye as fast as possible and working with S.H.I.E.L.D will let us do that."

Steve knew he was right and if S.H.I.E.L.D decided to put up a fight about the Winter Soldier's sudden appearance, they'd deal with that. Besides, Steve doubted that Coulson would do anything about it until after Skye was safe and that was all that mattered.

* * *

"What's going on?" Coulson asked as soon as he was inside Stark Tower. Stark and Rogers were waiting for him and the rest of the team by the elevator. He'd gotten a call saying they were needed at the Tower and it was urgent and they'd all raced over.

The fact that Steve had been the one to call him and not Skye had him worried, since she was their normal contact.

"It's good to see you again too, Agent," Stark responded.

May made an annoyed noise. "You called us here, it's obviously urgent, what's going on?"

"Skye's been kidnapped." Rogers told them.

Coulson felt his stomach drop. "How long ago?"

"Half an hour." Stark told him. "We'll fill you in on the details upstairs."

"It was Ward." May said with certainty.

"That's our first thought as well," Rogers agreed, "But obviously we don't know anything for certain."

He seemed eerily calm, like he was fighting very hard to keep control of his emotions or he would lose it.

They all stepped into the elevator.

"Our priority is to find Skye as quickly as possible," Stark told them, "and that means working together. Full co-operation from the Avengers."

"Finding Skye is our priority too," Coulson assured him, stepping off the elevator.

He reviewed the faces, nothing that Barton and Romanoff were missing and then he noticed another face. One who looked familiar…

Star and Rogers followed his gaze.

"Let me introduce you James Barnes," Rogers told him, "Otherwise known as the Winter Solider, but now an ally." There was steel in his voice, as if he was waiting for Coulson to challenge him.

Coulson had read Fury's report of the Winter Solider and he knew that he had been a valuable HYDRA asset, but something had happened and he'd gone off the radar. Now he knew why. He also had a sneaking suspicion that information was what had been removed from the HYDRA files they'd hacked.

"This was what you were hiding." May accused.

"It was a need to know situation." Rogers said blandly. "Now you officially need to know."

Coulson had a lot of questions, mostly whether the other man could be trusted, but he knew this wasn't the time to ask them. He looked at his team and saw they all appeared to be processing the revelation. Except Simmons, her eyes were glued to Barnes and there was no surprise there and Coulson realized that she had already known.

"Grant Ward is dangerous," he said after a moment, "He was a top S.H.I.E.L.D agent before he was revealed to be HYDRA and he is a highly trained, very dangerous weapon, one who appears to have a very tenuous grasp on reality. He became fixated on Skye, this is the third time he's kidnapped her—the last time she shot him."

"This guy obviously has issues with the word no." Sam Wilson commented. "If my ex-lover shot me, I think I'd take the hint that she didn't want me back."

"They never had that type of relationship." May snapped. "He's just a delusional psycho."

Coulson knew that her pride was still a little raw from the way Ward had used her and how he had played them all for fools. Truthfully, he wasn't sure how to describe Ward and Skye's relationship, there had obviously been something there, though it had, thankfully, never been given the chance to develop.

The Avengers all exchanged glances and Coulson realized that they knew something he didn't. Simmons also looked away.

"Jemma?" He pressed.

"Ward and Skye were lovers," She admitted, "before she found out he was HYDRA." She bit her lip. "She was in love with him, sir."

Coulson processed the information. He thought back to all the times he'd made Skye go to Ward for information, praying on Ward's apparent feelings for her, but never thinking about her feelings.

"Why didn't she say anything?" May demanded.

"She didn't want you to question her loyalty," Simmons said softly, "And I think she was ashamed that she'd fallen for Ward, but also angry at herself because she couldn't just shut her feelings off. A part of her still cared about him, even after everything. It's why she couldn't kill him in San Juan."

Coulson could understand that, even if he regretted that Skye had felt the need for secrecy. He wondered if she'd ever felt entirely comfortable with his team, but decided that it was a worry for another time. Right now they had to focus on finding her and bringing her home safely.


	36. Chapter 36: No Escape

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N-_ _I'm going to address the anonymous reviewer who keeps complaining about how long this is taking me to update. I know it's been taking a while and that early chapters were updated much faster, but that's because I wrote several chapters before I posted it and it was easier to stay ahead. Also, the summer is crazy for me. I have two small children and I spent the summer vacation busy being a mom. That means I spent all day running after my kids, but also taking them places. I was away a lot this summer, but I was also very tired on the evenings even when I was home and I didn't have the energy to write. I write for pleasure, I don't get paid for it and I do have other responsibilities. I love writing, I love hearing from the people who read my work and it makes me happy to know that you love the story I've created, but as much as I love it is not my main priority, raising my family is. My oldest son starts school next week and hopefully my life will then fall into a routine and I will be updating more often. There's about 15 chapters left in this story and I hope to have it finished by the end of October (when I'll be going away on vacation). I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to review this story and I feel like I've made some genuine connections and rest assured, I have every intention of finishing, it's just that real life has to be the priority. _

_A.N 2- This chapters moves us out of the Marvel movie universe into the broader Marvel world. For the purpose of the story, the Avengers are in contact with the other superhero groups (X-Men, the Fantastic Four, etc.) though they all do their own individual thing for the most part. But they all know each other and will share information if need be._

Chapter Thirty-Seven: No Escape

Jemma was starting to get a headache.

They had been at the Avengers Tower for four hours now and they had yet to come up with a plan to rescue Skye. Instead the two very distinct groups had spent most of that time arguing with each other.

The problem was that no one even really knew where to start. They all knew _who _was responsible, but that was it. There was no trail and no obvious place to start looking for Ward. They had no idea what his agenda was this time, except Skye herself.

"We don't even know who he's working with," Mack pointed out.

"If he's even working with anyone," Stark argued, "The guy sounds like a loose cannon."

"He's an asshole, that's for sure," Maria Hill, who had arrived a little while before, agreed, "and he's a specialist, which means he works well alone."

"He's too methodical for that," Coulson countered, "Ward's smart and he'd realize that he can't take on us and the Avengers on his own. He'd find someone to work with."

"Do you think its Skye's father?" Dr. Banner asked.

"It could be, but I don't think so." Coulson told him. "Cal was spotted only a few days ago, while Ward hasn't been seen in weeks."

"And no one thought that was suspicious?" Steve demanded. "Maybe we should have been given a heads up that he was missing."

"Grant Ward was one of S.H.I.E.L.D's top specialists," Coulson reminded him, "It makes him very hard to track and I think we all got complacent thinking that Skye was safe here in the Tower where Ward couldn't get to her."

"And she was safe," Sam Wilson pointed out, "She's barely left the Tower and never alone. Even tonight, Nat should have been with her."

"Yes, I should have." The redhead agreed as she and Clint arrived and joined the group. "He had to have been watching the Tower. There's no other way he would have managed to grab her the one time I, or another member of the team, wasn't with her."

"I don't like the fact that someone could have been watching us that closely without anyone realizing," Stark said grimly.

"Ward's an asshole, but he was good at his job." Clint said grimly. "He's almost as good as Nat when it comes to certain things. But I agree, he can't be working alone. This was pulled off too fast, too perfectly. No one can do that on their own."

"There was definitely more than one person at the scene." Pepper Potts spoke up. "But I don't know if they were hired goons or what. But there were at least two cars involved, plus some other random muscle."

Jemma could tell that everyone was getting frustrated by the lack of information.

"We don't even know where to start," Bobbi pointed out, "Ward could be working with anyone."

"We need to be doing _something_," Steve told them, "We need to be out there, looking for her."

Jemma watched James put his hand on his friend's shoulder, obviously trying to calm him. "We will be."

"I'm with Steve,' Stark said after a moment, "I think we just go there and start following every lead we have."

"And then we run the risk of alerting Ward to our presence and he could go underground." May countered.

"He already knows that we'll be coming for him," Natasha countered, "No, for once I agree with Tony. We just follow every lead and see what we can find. Someone has to have had heard something."

Jemma could see that her team didn't entirely agree with the Black Widow, probably because they were used to operating under the radar, but no one voiced another objection.

"I'll put the word out in the Super-Hero community," Stark said after a moment, "Let everyone know that Quake has been kidnapped and who we think took her. The more people who are looking for her, the better chance we have of finding her."

* * *

Skye opened her eyes and blinked as she took in her surroundings. Where was she? She wasn't in her apartment and she didn't think she was in the Avengers Tower because nothing looked familiar. So where was she and how did she get there?

As she sat up and tried to get her bearings, it all came rushing back. She remembered how they had been on the way to meet May and the others when someone had crashed into the car. As soon as the car had crashed, she'd been on alert and it had been obvious almost instantly that they been under attack. That was the last thing she remembered.

Skye took a deep breath, trying to remain calm because the last thing she wanted was to set off her powers. At least not until she knew where she was.  
It was obvious that she must have been the target of the attack and that it had been orchestrated to get her away from the Avengers. She also knew that it had to be the work of Ward.

After a moment, Skye looked around, studying her surroundings. She was in a room of some kind and it had no windows, but it seemed luxurious. There was a bed, but not much other furniture. She was relieved to see that she was still wearing the dress she had picked out for her girls' night and that if Ward, or whoever might be responsible for her kidnapping, at put her in the bed, at least he hadn't undressed her.

She got up off the bed and walked to the door and noticed that something felt off, though she couldn't quite place it. Skye was about to open the door when it opened from the other side, causing her to tense instantly.

Instead of Ward though, the intruder was a young woman who was smiling at her. "You're awake." The woman had an accent that Skye couldn't place.

"Yes…" Skye said cautiously. Who was this woman and what did she want with Skye?

"I was sent to check on you," the woman told her, "my name is Ana and I'll be your maid."

"My maid?" Skye repeated, wondering what exactly was going on.

"Yes," Ana answered, seeming unfazed by Skye's confusion, "I'm here to help you with anything you might need during your stay in Latveria."

"Latveria." Skye repeated, trying to keep the horror out of her voice.

"Yes," Ana told her patiently, "We're on our way there now. We should be landing shortly."

That explained the odd feeling, she was on a plane. Skye would normally have questioned how Ward had managed to get her out of the country without anyone noticing, but the mention of Latveria was answer enough. Latveria meant Victor von Doom and Doom had diplomatic immunity, which made sneaking an unconscious woman onto his plane a little easer.

It also made the situation a lot more complicated for Skye, because if Ward and Doom were working together… Well, nothing good could come out of that combination.

Ward was scary enough on his own or when he was working with people like Cal or Garrett, but teamed up with someone of Doom's power, both magical and political, and alleged intellect? That was a whole new ball game. Not to mention the fact that Latveria was very hard to infiltrate, Skye wasn't sure that even the Avengers could extract her from Doom's fortress, if they even discovered she was there. It was a very bad situation all around.

But what she didn't understand was why. Why would Doom team up with someone like Ward? What did a rogue ex-HYDRA agent have to offer a villain of Doom's calibre?

"I came here to check if you were awake and if you were, escort you to the main area of the plain," Ana said softly, "Would you like to freshen up?"

"No, I'm fine.' Skye told her, taking a deep breath.

She could hear Natasha's voice in her head, advising her on what to do. As much as Skye wanted to react with anger and defiance, she knew that wasn't the best course of action. Not if Doom was involved and certainly not when she was on a plane to a foreign nation with no immediate ideas on how to escape. No, for now she had to play along and hope that she could come up with a plan.

She followed Ana out of the bedroom and into the main area where two men were seated, sharing a glass of whiskey. They both rose at the sight of her.

"Skye, you're awake." Ward said, moving to her side.

She just nodded, her gaze fixated on the other man.

Ward noticed her gaze and smiled. "Skye, let me introduce you to our host, Victor von Doom."


	37. Chapter 37: A Very Beautiful Prison

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One_

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Very Beautiful Prison

Skye paced her room. Or rather her prison cell.

Oh, it was a very lovely prison cell. Spacious, with gorgeous antique furniture. But it was just a gilded cage.

Technically, she had the run of the castle, but she rarely left her room. She preferred her own company to Ward's. Though, she knew he was getting frustrated by her reluctance to leave her room and she could feel his patience running out, so she knew she would have to start thinking up another plan soon.

She'd been here for a week and she was no closer to escaping than she had been when she first woke up on the plane.

She ran her fingers over the gorgeous bracelet on her wrist; otherwise known as a very elegant shackle. It was the bracelet that kept her a helpless prisoner of Doom's castle.

_"It is a pleasure to meet you, Skye," Doom said after a moment, holding out his hand. "Grant has told me so much about you."_

_Skye resisted the urge to shudder and forced herself to shake his hand. Grant? So Doom and Ward were on a first name basis?_

_"I hope you enjoy your time in Latveria," Doom continued smoothly, "And you'll find anything that you could possibly need at your disposal."_

_Skye nodded coolly, already plotting her escape. She was on a plane and while she was normally immune to her powers, she didn't think she could survive falling out of the sky. However, once they were on the ground, she would strike._

_"One thing," Doom said with an amused smile, obviously guessing her thoughts, "Grant here informed me of your talent and I decided to take precautions. That bracelet on your wrist is made with a special non-conductive metal and it will prevent you from creating any vibrations."_

_Skye stared at him in horror and instinctively tried to summon her powers, but to her dismay she realized that she couldn't. She saw Ward's smirking at her and hatred bubbled up in her, but she pushed it down for now, because she could hear Natasha's voice in her head reminding her not to react with defiance._

_Instead she forced a smile. "I look forward to your hospitality." While silently vowing to somehow find a way out of this predicament._

That had been a week and she was no closure to finding a way out than she had been then. All she had been able to do was stall for time, but she knew that couldn't last forever.

She sighed, thinking about Steve and how worried he must be about her. She knew that he would never stop searching for her, but she wasn't confident about him finding her and even if he did… How could he save her? If the Avengers stormed Latveria, it would create an International incident. Ward had chosen his ally wisely.

The only thing that was bothering her was why had Doom gone along with it? What was in it for him? Skye hadn't seen her host since their arrival at his castle and she wondered where he was and what he was up to.

* * *

Later that night, Ana showed up in Skye's room looking flustered.

"Miss Skye, I have been instructed to please dress you for dinner." She said apologetically. "The Master has requested your presences."

Skye sighed, well that answered the question of when Doom would make an appearance. She considered refusing, but the look on Ana's face suggested that that would not be a great idea.

"Ok." Skye said after a moment. She could hear Natasha in her mind, reminding her that sometimes you have to adapt to the situation and play along. This was apparently one of those times.

Ana smiled, obviously relieved. "I will get a dress for you," she said, disappearing into the closet.

On arrival in Latveria, Skye had been greeted with a closet full of clothes, all in her size. She'd worn very little of it, as most of it was much grander than she needed to stay in her room by herself.

Ana pulled out a formal blue gown. "This is lovely," the maid said.

"Isn't it a little formal?" Skye asked.

"The Master prefers his guests to dress for dinner." Ana told her.

Skye filed that information away, but then Doom did live in a full-out castle in his own country, so why was she really surprised that he demanded formality?

Skye allowed Ana to help her dress and to do her hair and make-up and a short while later, she was ready to go downstairs. At least, she was physically ready. Mentally, she wasn't sure she was up to the challenge, but she just focused on the lessons that Natasha had given her.

As soon as she left her room, her resolve was tested, because Ward was standing there waiting for her, with his hand out-stretched. He was wearing a tuxedo and he was smiling at her as if nothing bad had ever happened between them.

Skye watched him for a second, this was the first time they'd been alone in months. On the plane, she'd been so focused on Doom's presence and what it meant for her that she was barely aware of Ward and then she'd spent the last week avoiding him, but now it was just the two of him and she was very aware of his presence.

For a moment, it all came rushing back as he smiled at her. The devastating attraction that she'd once felt for him, the connection that she'd thought they shared, the way she'd loved him… But at the same time, it felt like someone else's life. She looked at Ward and realized that she was truly over him.

His betrayal still stung, but it didn't devastate her the way he once had, and there was no longer that jolt of attraction that had always previously occurred when she was in his presence. Even in San Juan, as angry as she was with him and with herself, she'd still felt a pull towards him. But not anymore. Oh, she was still aware that he was devastating handsome, but there was nothing personal about it. Not anymore.

"You look beautiful, Skye." He told her, shaking her out of our thoughts.

"Thank you." She said and, forcing herself not to shudder, she placed her hand in his. Again, there was nothing. For the first time, she didn't feel anything when he touched her, except maybe revulsion. But his touch no longer had a physical affect on her, there was no longer that sizzle of attraction that had always been there in the past, even after she'd learned who he was.

Somehow it made what she had to do easier. For the first time, Skye thought that she might be able to take Natasha's advice and play along with Ward, at least to a point, because her emotions were no longer engaged. She could pretend that this was just another mission.

Ward seemed surprised, but his smile widened. "I knew you just needed time," he told her and she could see him studying her, obviously taking in every detail. The look in his eyes gave her the creeps, but she forced herself to stay calm.

"It's been a crazy few months," She said non-committedly.

"I hate how things went down in San Juan," Ward told her, "I know I put you in a rough position and I'm sorry. I was trying to help you. I know I went about it the wrong way, but I just wanted you to reach your full potential."

"We both did things we regret," Skye told him truthfully. Her regret was that she'd only shot to injure. She should have killed him then and there, but… She hadn't been ready. She'd still been holding on to the past, to the memories of a man who had never existed.

"I know." Ward told her. "And I forgive you. We'll put the past behind us Skye and we'll start over and this is the best and safest place for us to do that, Skye. No one can hurt us here."

Skye repressed a shudder at his words and the reminded that, at least, for the moment she was trapped in a foreign country with no foreseeable means of escape and the only thing familiar, was Ward.

"We should go downstairs," Ward said after a minute, "We don't want to keep our host waiting."

"No," Skye said, fighting to keep the sarcasm out of her voice. "We wouldn't want that."


	38. Chapter 38: Hopeless Situation

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_ A__.N- I'm taking a lot of liberties with Doom's back story here. I'm mish-mashing comics and movies and changing things around for my own convenience. Doom is the leader of Latveria and has diplomatic immunity, he is also one of the most notorious villains in the world and S.H.I.E.L.D has a file on him and the Avengers have tussled with him, but he remains at large and basically untouchable in Latveria. He was scarred by a college experiment and that was what had led him to be wearing the mask, but he has since had plastic surgery. He still wears the mask and armor when in public, keeping up the illusion. Only in Latveria does he allow his true self to show. He's still a super-villain, but he's also a politician, and this allows him to negotiate under cover at times. It's not traditional Doom, but it's one I like (and might explore more in a later fic) and it fits for this story._

_Warning: There is the implied threat of rape in this chapter. No one actually gets raped, but there is mention of the possibility (or the fear)._

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Hopeless Situation

When they arrived in the dining room, Doom was already seated at the table when they arrived in the formal dining room. You could easily fit 50 people in the room, but it was mostly empty, the only furniture being a small table set for 3.

Skye was still unsettled by the image of the real Victor von Doom. Like most people, her image of Doom was that of a terribly scarred man who hid behind a terrible mask and draped himself in body armor. If it wasn't for her access to S.H.I.E.L.D surveillance photos, Skye wouldn't have recognized him on the plane or now.

Instead of his familiar costume, he was wearing an expensive suit. There were light scars on his face, but nothing terrible or disfiguring as the stories would make you think.

Despite the scars, he was still incredibly handsome, but he left Skye cold. There was nothing warm or natural about him, everything about him radiated power and control. Even if Skye hadn't known who he was, she would know that this was a man you didn't want to cross, and that highlighted the hopelessness of her situation.

He stood as Skye and Ward entered.

"Miss Skye," He told her, "Thank you for joining us."

Skye just nodded and let Ward help her into her seat.

Doom didn't sit down until she was seated.

It was bizarre, they were both the picture of gentlemanly politeness; a casual obverse would never be able to guess that she was having dinner with a super-villain and a psychopath.

"Have you been enjoying your time in Latveria?" Doom asked politely as the first course was served. Skye was relieved to see that it looked like there were actual human servants and not just Doom's famous "Doom-bots".

"My quarters are lovely," Skye told him, "I haven't seen much of the castle yet." Or anything other than her room, a few hallways, and now the dining hall.

"Yes, Grant mentioned that," Doom told her and suddenly Skye had a feeling that the reason that she hadn't seen him this week, or been pressured to leave her quarters, was that he hadn't been around. But where had he been? "I hope that will change, you're not a prisoner Skye, you can wander to your heart's content and I sincerely hope you that will free to do so."  
Skye knew that even though it was worded like a request, it was really an order. She had a feeling that Doom didn't make many requests.

As the men carried on polite chit chat and Skye forced herself to participate, she was still trying to solve the puzzle of why she was there. Oh, she knew why Ward had taken her, but was in it for Doom? What exactly did he want with her?

* * *

Things at the Avengers' Tower got bleaker as every day passed without even a hint of Skye's whereabouts.

Jemma was starting to get discouraged, wondering how Ward could have managed to disappear so completely. The Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D were snapping at each other, neither side particularly comfortable with the fact that they had to work together.

Other teams had been brought in for information and in the last week Jemma had met members of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four along with a few solo superheroes such as Daredevil and Spider-Man. In normal circumstances it would be awe-inspiring, but Jemma was too concerned about Skye to even really notice.

The extra hands on deck would be helpful, if they had anything to do, but they didn't and in some ways the people coming and going just made the situation more stressful. All these super-heroes and there was nothing any of them could do to locate Skye.

Coulson was obsessed with finding information and he and Stark were driving each other crazy, trying to run the show, and driving everyone else crazy too. Everyone was on edge and Jemma knew it was only going to get worse.

Then there was poor Steve. He barely said a word to anyone, he was just so completely focused on getting Skye back, and Jemma was sure if it wasn't for James that he probably wouldn't remember to eat or rest or do anything other than go over the information again and again, trying to find some clue.

As for Jemma, she was trying to stay out of people way. She was a scientist, not a tactician or a computer genius, there was nothing she could contribute. So she stayed in the background and just tried not to think about what Ward might be doing to Skye.

That was the word part and Jemma was sure it was one of the reasons that they were all so on edge because they all knew that Skye was in the hands of a man who was psychotically obsessed with her. Would Ward's fixation with Skye cause him to cross that line? Jemma hoped not, but she'd never expected that Ward would try to kill her either, so she didn't have a lot of faith.

She expected that was what really driving Steve crazy, the thought of what Skye might be suffering and what shape she might be in, when (Jemma refused to think any other way) they did find her.

Jemma knew her friend wasn't helpless. She was well-trained in combat and she had some pretty spectacular powers, but after a week and no word, they had to assume that she was in a situation where her training and powers weren't able to help her and that was truly terrifying.

"Penny for your thoughts?" A male voice asked from behind her.

"My thoughts are worth much more than that." Jemma said without thinking and then turned around to see James standing there with a weird expression on his face.

"Skye told me the same thing once," He told her softly, "I guess great minds think alike."

"Yes." Jemma said softly. "If she were here Skye would laugh and tell you that we couldn't be mentioned in the same conversation. She doesn't think street smarts and computer knowledge was in the same class as conventional intelligence."

"But you do," James said quietly.

"I didn't always," Jemma admitted, "I used to hold myself as superior to people who weren't as academically gifted as Fitz and I. It was joining the team that changed than that and a lot of that was Skye. She has such a unique way of looking the world and getting to the heart of the problem and I came to understand that was a skill that couldn't be learnt in a book or measured by any test."

"She's a survivor," James agreed, "And that's how I know that she's holding her own, wherever she is. It's what I keep telling Steve."

"I hope so," Jemma said softly.

James put his good hand on her shoulder, almost tentatively. Jemma found his touch comforting. He was so steady, if very mysterious. He hadn't spoken much this past week, he'd been too focused on Steve, and, Jemma suspected, still untrusting of S.H.I.E.L.D. But she had been aware of his presence and while she knew the other members of her team were unsettled by it, she'd found it reassuring.

He might be a lethal weapon, but he was on their side now, and well, in this situation, having a dangerous killing machine on their side actually sounded pretty good. Jemma hoped he'd help her fulfill her promise that if she ever saw Ward again, he'd die.


	39. Chapter 39: An Impossible Situation

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Forty: An Impossible Situation

"Enjoying the gardens?"

Skye froze at the sound of the voice. It was the day after her dinner with Ward and Doom and she'd forced herself to leave her room, not wanting to risk crossing her "host" and she'd decided to walk around the castle gardens. Thankfully Ward was nowhere in sight and she'd actually been enjoying her beautiful surroundings, only to realize now that she wasn't alone.

"They're lovely." Skye told Doom evenly. "You have a beautiful home."

"When I was a child, I used to look at the castle and see it as the ultimate sign of success," he told her, "it meant privilege and security and I wanted it for myself."

And he had achieved it. Skye knew the official story, and some of the real story, or at least the version known to S.H.I.E.L.D and knew just how far he had come. It was one of the things that made him such a terrifying opponent.

"You must be wondering why you're here," he said after a moment, "and how Grant Ward and I came to be working together."

"It's crossed my mind," Skye admitted, trying to focus her attention on the flowers.

"A few years ago, I did HYDRA, though they weren't calling themselves that, of course, a favor and Grant Ward was the middle man," Doom said conversationally, "I recognized him for the bright, enterprising man he was and told him that if he ever needed a change, I could find a place for him here, in my operation. He turned me down, his loyalty to HYDRA unshakeable, and that was that, until a few weeks ago when he reached out to my American embassy and asked for a meeting and a favor."

Skye had to give Ward credit for having balls, she wasn't sure she'd ever think to just reach out and hope that Dr. Doom remembered a passing off he'd made a few years before. But then, one thing Ward had never lacked was confidence.

"He told me needed sanctuary." Doom continued. "As soon as he asked for the meeting, I acquired all the information I could on him and learnt that he had been exposed when HYDRA fell and that he was wanted by the US government and I was willing to offer him sanctuary in return for his service. I thought that would be it, but he explained it was more complicated. There was a woman; a beautiful, talented woman with extraordinary gifts, who was currently very confused and lost and living amongst the Avengers of all people and he wanted to help me free you from them."

Skye fought the urge to roll her eyes at Ward's description of her and the idea that she needed to be 'freed' from the Avengers, as if she was their prisoner.

"He explained your past, how you had never fit in anywhere, how you had come to join S.H.I.E.L.D, and what had happened in San Juan." Doom told her and to Skye's surprise and discomfort, he put his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "His description intrigued me and I have to admit the challenge of stealing you from under the Avengers' noses appealed to me."  
"So you had me kidnapped for your amusement?" Skye asked in disbelief. "That's all there is to it? Ward has to work for you and I'm just his prize?"

"No, my dear, if anything you're _my _prize." Doom told her, his hand still on her shoulder.

Skye stiffened, she didn't like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

"I am brilliant, Skye," Doom told her, "And I have almost enough power to satisfy even my own desires, but I am not immortal. Not yet. So, like every man, I must turn to conventional methods to secure my legacy: namely a son. I'm sure I could find a willing woman, most of my citizens are desperate to please me and would like the cache of being the mother of my child, but I was unwilling to choose just anyone. No, I need my son's mother to be extraordinary and you, with you unusual gifts and your courageous backstory, which speaks of your inner strength, would make an ideal candidate."

"Ward agreed that I would have your child?" Skye asked in disbelief. She knew that Ward was crazy, but this seemed insane even for him. Besides, Ward was incredibly possessive and she couldn't believe he would be ok with another man impregnating her.

"Reluctantly," Doom assured her, "And there were… Conditions. The child must be conceived in a clinical method. He was very clear about that."

Well that was something, Skye thought sarcastically. She resolved to do whatever she had to do to get herself out of this situation. She wasn't going to be a super-villain's broodmare.

"Of course, if you wish to do it in a more conventional method, I am more than willing." Doom told her, moving his hand from her shoulder to her face.

It took all of Skye's training with May and Natasha not to flinch. Instead she stayed calm, forcing herself not to react at all. He was handsome, but he was so cold and calculating and his touch repulsed her. However, she knew that showing that revulsion wouldn't be good for her general life expectancy.

"I always assumed when I had children, I would get to choose their father." She said calmly.

"There are advantages for you, Skye," Doom assured her, "As the mother of my child, you will be treasured over every other woman in Latveria, and you will have a comfortable life in the palace. I will leave you and Grant in peace if that's what you want, or" and there was a chilling factor to his pleasant smile, "if you prefer, I can eliminate that little problem for you."

So he was aware that Ward's feeling for her weren't mutual, Skye realized. That meant he was calculating and evil, but not stupid. Even though she had done her best at dinner to hide her hatred, Doom must have still picked up on it. That didn't make her feel any better. In fact, it made her feel a little more hopeless.

Doom dropped his hand from her face, but instead of backing away he picked up her hand. Skye didn't fight him. He studied her engagement ring.

She had taken it off for dinner, knowing that it wasn't the right time to provoke Ward, but she had put it back on this afternoon. She couldn't bear not to wear it. It was a symbol of Steve and their love and the life she had waiting for her if she ever managed to get out of this situation. It was her beacon of hope.

"I assume that Grant did not give you this ring," he said casually, "If you wish, I can bring your lover to you and you can live happily here. Once you're pregnant, of course."

"I think even you would have a hard time forcing Captain America to bend to your will," Skye said sarcastically, unable to help herself. This situation was just too unbelievable.

Doom dropped her hand and looked at her carefully. "Captain America? He's the man who gave you that ring?"

"Yes." Skye said definably. "We're engaged. He's going to be looking for me, they all are, but he'll never give up." She believed that with all her heart. She knew that Steve loved her and that if he had to, he'd spend the rest of his life looking for her.

Bizarrely, Doom seemed unsettled by this information and backed away. "Enjoy the gardens, Skye. I must return to my work. We will talk again later."

Skye barely registered the subtle threat in his words, more focused on his reaction. Why had he seemed so shaken at the mention of Steve? She didn't think it was fear, Doom was too arrogant to admit to being scared of anyone. Still, there had been something there, she just wished she knew what…


	40. Chapter 40: Diplomatic Interlude

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

Chapter Forty-One: Diplomatic Interlude

"Dr. Doom requires your presence at the Latverian embassy." Tony told Steve.

Steve didn't look up from the file he was studying for the thousandth time. The file containing all the information S.H.I.E.L.D had on Grant Ward. "Someone else can go play nice with Doom."  
It had been 10 days since Skye had been taken. 10 days and there had been no sign of her. It was as if she had vanished off the face of the Earth.

"He sent you a note," Tony told him, handing it to him, "and his messenger was very clear that it was for your eyes only. I considered reading it, but technically you're in charge of the team," Steve knew that Tony was occasionally irritated by that fact, even if Steve thought of them as co-leaders, after all it was Tony's money that paid fr everything, "so I didn't want to go around you."

Tony softened. "I know it's not a good time and believe me I know this is the last thing you want to deal with, but ignoring Doom is never a good idea."

Steve knew he was right and finally looked up from his file. He took the note from Tony and opened it and then froze as he stared down at a picture of Skye.

She was wearing a long blue dress and she was seated at a dinner table, Grant Ward beside her.

"Fuck." Tony exclaimed.

"Yeah." Steve agreed, unable to tear his eyes away from the image of Skye. She didn't' look like she was hurt, but he could see the strain on her face and he felt anger course through him at the sight of Grant Ward.

"How is Doom involved in this?" Tony wondered.

"I don't know," Steve said, standing up, "But I guess I'm going to find out."

"You should have let the bastard die when you had the chance," Tony muttered, referring to a mission where the Avengers had tangled with Doom's forces. It hadn't ended well for Doom, who had almost gone over a cliff, but Steve had saved him. Because he had a hard time letting _anyone _die, plus Doom's death on those terms would be a political nightmare. For good or bad, Doom was the sole ruler of Latveria and his death would plunge the nation into chaos.

Still, a part of him agreed with Tony, and he was tormented by the idea that his choices could have led to Skye's current predicament.

"We should call Richards," he said instead, "He'll want to be kept in the loop with anything that involves Doom." The Avengers and the Fantastic Four mostly kept out of each other's way, but they shared intelligence occasionally and no one knew Doom as well as they did.

"JARVIS," Tony called out.

"I'm getting Dr. Richards on the line now." The AI informed him. "It'll just be a moment."

"Thank you." Tony instructed and then he looked at Steve. "At least we know she's alive and where she is."

Yeah, in the hands of the most brilliant supervillain Steve had ever encountered, most likely locked up in his impregnable fortress, along with her psycho stalker. For some reason, the information didn't exactly fill Steve with relief.

* * *

"Mr. Rogers." Doom greeted a while later, when Steve was ushered into the Latverian embassy.

Over the objections of everyone, he had come alone, as Doom instructed. He wasn't going to risk Skye's safety by defying Doom.

"Where is she?" He demanded.

"She's safe." Doom informed him. "She's my guest at my home in Latveria."

Steve stayed silent, knowing that losing his temper wouldn't do anything to help Skye. She might not currently be in Doom's presence, but she was in his home, no doubt under the carefuleye of his army.

"When I entered into an agreement with Grant Ward, I was unaware that Skye was your fiancé." Doom told him. "I owe you a debt, Mr. Rogers, and I always pay my debts. I am granting you permission to enter Latveria and escort Skye home. This permission will last for 48 hours and I will make no attempt to prevent you from returning to the United States with your fiancé."

Steve knew Doom well enough to read between the lines. Doom prided himself on being a man of his word and he was, but only his _exact _word. So when Doom said that _he _would not attempt to prevent Steve from leaving Latveria with Skye, he only meant himself, not his army of robots or any of his human goons.

"You don't even have to go alone," Doom told him, "you can take up to five companions with you, if that will make you feel better."

It would, Steve had to admit.

"Will you be accompanying us?" Steve asked, knowing that having Doom on hand would make getting out even trickier than it was likely already going to be.

"No." Doom told him. "I will give the order allowing you into my home, but I will stay here in New York and you can assign me a guard to watch me. My only request is that it is not Reed Richards, as I find his presence tedious."

Steve was still suspicious of the offer and he wasn't naïve enough to think that it was going to be a cakewalk, but he also knew it was the best he was going to get and it was a lot fairer than he expected of Doom.

"I'll take it." He agreed after a moment.

"I expected that you would," Doom told him coolly. "You have 48 hours and the clock starts now."

* * *

With the clock ticking, the Avengers quickly assembled and prepared for the trip to Latveria. The issue was that the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D added up to thirteen between them, not counting Steve, and Doom had specified that only six would have permission to enter Latveria.

"I'm going." Coulson stated in a tone that left no room for argument and Steve wasn't going to make one, though he could see Tony wanted to. He knew that Skye loved Coulson like a father and it seemed the feelings were mutual.

"I'm going too." Natasha informed them and then dared any of them to argue with her. No one did.

"I've got you back, punk," Bucky spoke up, "Just like old times."

"Do you think that's wise?" One of the other S.H.I.E.L.D agents, a man who's name Steve thought started with an M, asked. "Aren't you untested in battle?"

"If Bucky says he's up for it, he's up for it," Steve said firmly, "There's no one I trust more."

That left only two spots remaining.

The S.H.I.E.L.D scientists were obviously not trained for this mission and most of Coulson's team remained silent. Steve knew that Skye had never really bonded with the newer members of the team, so he wasn't surprised that they spoke up.

"I'm going." Agent May announced, the one member of Coulson's team to do so, and like Natasha, she seemed to dare people to deny her. Though, unlike Natasha, she did get an argument.

"No offense, but I think Doom requires a little more than you get offer." Tony said dismissively. "This isn't the place for regular agents. Besides, Quake is an Avenger, this should be an Avengers mission."

"Skye was a member of our team first," May shot back.

"Until you decided she wasn't human enough for you," Clint shot back, "then you sent her to us."

"I'm willing to stay and watch over Doom." Bruce volunteered and Sam seconded that. But Clint, Tony and Thor were all standing there, obviously very unwilling to be left out. The rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D team stood behind May, obviously supporting her stance. Coulson looked like he had a headache.

"We're wasting time!" Jemma yelled, causing everyone to turn to look at her. "Every moment we stand here is one less moment we have to rescue Skye and bring her back home. I don't care who goes to get her, I just want her back!"

"Lady Simmons is very wise," Thor praised, "Lady Skye's welfare is of most grave importance and I will do everything I can to accommodate that, even if it means staying behind."

"I'm going." Tony said stubbornly. "Doom's got an army of robots that we'll be rumbling with." He had a point there, plus they needed at least one flyer. Though, with this many people, they'd be taking the plane.

Clint stayed silent, just glaring at May.

"May can take my place." Coulson said finally. "That way she and Barton can both go. Simmons is right, it's Skye's welfare that matters. We're all on the same side here. Dr. Banner and I can watch over Doom together, in the spirit of co-operation."

Steve admired the way that Coulson was handling the situation and could see the strength of his leadership. If they made it out of Latveria in one piece, they might need to revisit the idea of an Avengers-S.H.I.E.L.D alliance.

"Well, then, what are we waiting for?" Tony asked. "Let's go storm Doom's castle and bring our girl home."

_A.N- One of the most important things about Doom is that he does have a strict sense of honor, even if his moral code doesn't match up with anyone else. He never lies (though he often manipulates the truth, by sticking only to the letter of it) and he takes debts very seriously. One of the reasons I settled on Doom as the villain of this piece was reading that Steve Rogers once saved Doom's life, making Doom feel indebted to him. It felt like something I could work with._


	41. Chapter 42: A Vow to Kill

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- This chapter is super short, I know, but it just flowed so well and adding anything well would change the tone. Thing of this as a brief intermission before we get to the real action._

Chapter Forty-Two: A Vow to Kill

"There is a message from the Master," one of Doom's soldiers told Ward, who was in search of Skye. It had been 10 days and she was still avoiding him. He thought they had made progress the other night at dinner, but he had barely seen her since then. "He has given the Avengers 48 hours to enter Latveria and retrieve the one they call Skye."

"What?!" Ward screamed. "That wasn't the deal!"

He knew that super-villain's notorious for the double-cross, but Doom had a reputation for being very strict about keeping his word.

"He apparently owes Captain America a debt," the soldier told him, "However he only promised that he himself would not interfere and that they would have a chance to retrieve her. We are under orders to follow your command."

Ward grinned, that was more like it.

He had known that going to Doom had been the right choice. Sure, the deal wasn't perfect, he wasn't thrilled about the idea of Skye having another man's child. But he could control the circumstances and really, it didn't matter, he and Skye had plenty of time to have children of their own afterwards. All that mattered was securing their future and getting that chance.

He could handle a challenge from the Avengers, especially with a good army behind him; besides, it would give him a chance to make good on the promise he had made to himself that day in Brooklyn when he had seen Steve Rogers put his hands on Skye and that was to do what HYDRA had never been able to accomplish: Kill Captain America.

* * *

Something was going on. Skye had gone to leave her room for her morning walk, only to have an armed goon suggest that she stay in her quarters.

Peering out her windows, it seemed that the castle was under lockdown. What was happening?

Ana arrived a little while with Skye's laundry.

"Ana, what is happening?" Skye demanded.

"The Master has left and he has left Mr. Ward in charge," Ana said and Skye could hear the distaste. Ana might willingly work for Doom, but even she didn't seem to be a fan of Ward. "And he has ordered the castle locked down, apparently they are expecting an invasion."

Steve.

Skye knew it had to be. Somehow the Avengers must have found out that she was in Latveria and they were preparing to rescue her. On one hand, that was great news, but on the other, it could mean a lot of political fallout and Skye wasn't thrilled with being the cause.

But at the same time… She might actually get to go home!

"I have been instructed to bring you all your meals," Ana told her, "Apparently you aren't too leave your quarters."

Skye had expected that, obviously is the Avengers were coming, then Ward would want to keep her out of sight. It wasn't her nature to be obligating, but she was more helpless than she liked. She had no weapons and she was still wearing Doom's bracelet, which meant she had no powers.

"Thank you Ana," Skye said after a moment, "I appreciate the information."

The other woman nodded and then left. But oddly, she'd left Skye's laundry on the bed, instead of putting it away herself. Skye went to the bed and picked up the top item and then felt something hard.

She picked it up and smiled. Ana had smuggled her a gun, apparently she had at least one ally here.

Wouldn't Ward be surprised when he came to see her and Skye knew he would, because he wouldn't be able to help himself. And when he did, Skye would do what she hadn't been able to do in San Juan: she would end Grant Ward once and for all.


	42. Chapter 43: Firefight

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- Action scenes aren't my strong suit and this is a bit all over the place. I apologize in advance._

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

Chapter Forty-Three: Firefight

Doom's castle loomed in front of the Avengers. They had arrived in Latveria and been greeted by various officials, who reminded of them that they were on a deadline. At this point they had just over 24 hours to get Skye and get clear of Latverian air-space.

"We're surrounded," Tony, who had flown ahead, said over the com, "there are dozens of soldiers, both human and robot, all blocking the entrance to the castle."

"We expected that." Natasha commented, "We just have to stick to the plan. We know that she's in there and that Ward is too and we can't let anything stop us from our goal."

The team was all in agreement.

Steve had been worried that the addition of Melinda May might change the dynamic, but she and Natasha had worked together in the past, and having gotten her way about being on the mission, May was willing to follow orders.

"We have to assume that Doom's done something to Skye and she has no access to her powers," Clint reminded them, "otherwise, she would have brought this castle to the ground by now."

"She might be afraid of injuring civilians," Steve pointed out, but he had to agree with Clint that it seemed likely Skye had somehow been rendered powerless.

"Skye has other skills," May reminded them, "I think we can still count her as an ally for our side, once we get to her."

"I agree." Natasha spoke up. "She might be unarmed and currently at a disadvantage, but we'll be able to count on her to help us fight our way **out** of there, it's getting _in_ that might be tricky."

"Then we'll just have to fight our way in," Bucky said with a grin, looking over at Steve.

"Let's do it." Steve agreed. Skye was in there and he was **going **to get her out. This wasn't any different than going past the German line to get Bucky all those years ago and they'd made it out alive that time. He'd do it again now.

* * *

"They're entering the castle grounds now, sir." One of Doom's soldiers informed Ward. He was locked down in the main part of the castle, deciding to wait for Rogers and his companions to bring the fight to him. Hopefully Doom's lackeys would be able to take a few them out, but if not at least they'd be tired while he was well rested, which would give him the advantage.

He had a gun in his hand, just waiting. Though he didn't plan on shooting Steve Rogers immediately. He needed Skye to watch, needed her to know that there was _nothing_ standing in the way of them being together.

Thinking of Skye, Ward glanced up the stairs. He wanted to go to her now, but it was a bad idea. This wasn't the time to let his guard now. Not with the Avengers so close. Doom's men were under orders to take out everyone but Rogers and to capture Rogers. But Ward was filling to acknowledge the possibility the Avengers would allude Doom's army, so he had to be prepared to take them down himself. But he wasn't going to bring Skye into the equation, until he had Rogers subdued.

For now, she was safe in her room, under the watch of several guards, which meant she couldn't do anything foolish, like she had in San Juan.

* * *

"No sign of Ward anywhere," May called out as they finally breached the front door of Doom's castle.

They had been attack from the time they'd stepped foot on the property, which they'd expected. But they'd managed to fight their way through an army of robots and men with guns.

"He's an asshole, but he's not stupid," Barton said grudgingly, "why would he join the firefight, when he can wait for us to come to him? This way he's well rested and we've just fought an army."

"I've fought armies before." Rogers commented, as his shield returned to his hand. "What's one more?"

"Are we going to blow anything up this time?" Barnes asked. "Because that's always fun."

May watched Barnes carefully. Coulson had asked her to keep a discreet eye on him, to see if he really was rehabilitated or if he was a potential threat. She had to admit that he seemed fine. He was cracking jokes and covering Rogers' back. This was apparently his first battle with the Avengers, but he fit in easily.

May was very aware that she was the outsider on this mission, though everyone was polite, but that didn't matter. What mattered was Skye. May couldn't sit around and do nothing while Skye was in Ward's hands, it just wasn't in her nature. She had to be part of the fight, but she understood that she wasn't in charge here and she was willing to respect that. To a point.

She still hoped to be the one to put a bullet in Grant Ward's black heart once and for all. Though she had a feeling she might have competition for that honor.

* * *

Skye could hear the commotion and knew that the Calvary had arrived.

She'd honestly assumed she would have seen Ward by now, but maybe he wanted to keep her out of sight. It was a little of character for him, his ego seemed to demand grand displays, but maybe even he was cautious about going up against the Avengers.

Still, that meant Skye couldn't catch him off-guard, so she needed to come up with another plan. She listened to the sounds of the battle for a moment and decided to just make her own opportunity.

She grabbed the gun Ana had left for her and opened the door. A guard saw her and Skye shot without hesitating. She felt a teeny bit of remorse as he fell to the ground, but she'd only shot to wound. Another guard came at her and this time she had enough time that she didn't need a gun to take him down.

A moment later, she was headed down the stairs towards the sounds of the fire fight. As soon as she entered the foyer, she could see that there was a fight going on.

Skye could make out six familiar figures. Steve, May, Tony, Nat, Bucky and Clint. She wondered if they were only ones or if the others were somewhere else, but she figured she'd get that answer when the fight was over.

Skye joined the fight quickly. She might not be able to use her powers, but all those hours of training with first Ward, then May and then Natasha were certainly coming in handy now.

She took out a couple of Doom's henchmen and then felt an arm encircle her. She tensed for a second, ready to throw it off when her body recognized the touch. Steve.

She turned in his arms, drinking in the sight of him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." He told her. "This is quite the welcome, don't you think?"

"You can't say that Doom isn't a gracious hope," she quipped, knowing this wasn't the time for big emotional reunions. But she felt so much better just seeing him. Now she knew that she would be going home. Her family was going to help her make sure of it.

"Let her go!" Skye stiffened at the sound of Ward's voice. He was headed towards them, gun in hand.

"Move away from him Skye," Ward ordered.

"No." Skye said.

"I don't want to hurt you," Ward told her and she could tell he believed it, "I want us to have a life together. That can't happen as long as he's alive, you must see that."

All she could see was that he was insane. Had he always been this crazy or had the events of the last year finally sent him over the edge? She didn't know and she felt a twinge of pity as she looked at him, but she still raised her gun and prepared to shoot. But before she could pull the trigger she heard the sound of a gun popping and watched as the bullet entered Ward's skull. She was transfixed by the gruesome sight and his broken and bloody body.

So much so, that it took a moment to tear her gaze away and identify the shooter...

* * *

_A.N2- I know a lot of people wanted Skye to kill Ward, but it didn't feel right to me. I needed her to **want** to do it and to be emotionally ready, but I think actually killing him would be harder than she would think and even though he's a crazy psycho, it would haunt her. Because while he's crazy, she's not; she's human and she has compassion and real emotions. In the next chapter we'll find out exactly who did kill Ward._


	43. Chapter 44: Time To Go Home

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

_A.N- I had decided early in this story that it was going to be Natasha who killed Ward, though I thought Bucky also made a viable candidate. But Natasha just made the most sense to me, especially given her role as Skye's friend and big sister-esque mentor. Plus, given the comments from the previous chapter, it was a less obvious choice, which is always good._

Chapter Forty-Four: Time to Go Home

Skye saw that Bucky and May both had their guns up, but neither of them had shot the fatal bullet. No, it was Natasha who had claimed that honor.

She was curious as to why Natasha would shoot when it had been clear she'd been about to do it, but she knew this wasn't the time to ask questions. After all, they were still in enemy territory.

However, with Ward lying dead on the ground, Doom's soldiers didn't seem inclined to keep fighting.

"We were under orders to follow Mr. Ward." One spoke up. "With him dead our orders have changed. You're all free to go."

That was interesting and Skye felt like there had to be some catch. It couldn't be that simple could it? But it appeared that it was because the human soldiers all exited the hall, leaving only the robots, who seemed menacing, but weren't engaging anyone.

"Well that's anti-climactic." Tony quipped. "But let's get out of here before they change our minds and decide to kill us for sport."

Everyone else agreed and started heading for the door, when Skye paused. "Wait." She told them. "There's a maid, Ana… She came to my aid and I can't just leave her."

Clint sighed. "There's always something. Of course we're not actually going to walk away when the bad guys let us."

"Do you know where she is?" Steve asked patiently, his arm still wrapped around her.

"No." Skye admitted, knowing it sounded crazy, but she couldn't just abandon Ana.

Just then, the woman in question came running towards them.

"Miss Skye, you're safe!" She cried, not giving Ward's dead body a second glance. "But you must go. Now."

"Come with me." Skye urged. "Come to America, we can help you find a life there." She shot Tony a look and he just nodded. She knew that wasn't how it actually worked, but she figured between Tony's money and S.H.I.E.L.D they could work out something.

Ana shook her head. "My life is here, my family is here. Latveria is not a bad place to live and the Master… He treats his citizens well." Skye had a hard time believing anything positive of Doom, but she let it go.

"If you're sure." She told Ana. The other woman nodded. Skye accepted her decision and looked up Steve. "Let's get out of here."

He nodded and then to her surprised turned to Tony, who picked her up.

"Uh, what's going on?"

"It's better if you and Tony fly ahead." Steve told her. "We don't want to take any chances."  
Skye rolled her eyes, but didn't argue. After all, she had just been kidnapped and held in a supervillain's fortress, so a little bit of caution was probably a good thing.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Steve asked for the millionth time when they were safely on the plane. She was nestled in his arms, neither of them caring that they had an audience, as she filled the others in on what had happened to her.

May was the one flying the plane, to Skye's surprise, which left the Avengers alone.

"I'm fine." Skye assured him. "I wasn't physically harmed. Ward didn't even try to kiss me."

She could see that Steve was reassured by her words and she realized that he had spent the two previous weeks worrying about what was happening to her and fearing the worst.

"Though, apparently he did promise Doom, I'd have his baby." Skye said with a shudder.

She was greeted by several exclamations of surprise.

"That's twisted, even for Ward." Clint commented.

"How did you guys find me?" Skye asked, not wanting to focus on Ward. Thinking about it brought up the image of his dead body and some conflicted feelings that she wasn't ready to explore just yet. Not right now when she wanted to concentrate on the fact that she was going home.

"Doom came to me." Steve told her. "I saved his life a few months ago and he felt he owed me a debt, so he told me where to find you and told me I had 48 hours to enter and exit Latveria and that I could bring five companions."

That explained why the rest of the Avengers weren't there, Skye realized, and the rest of the S.H.I.E.L.D team. She wondered how May managed to get included.

"Well, then it's a good thing you're such a good guy," Skye told him lovingly, "Because I had no idea how I was going to get out of there." She held up her wrist. "This thing blocks my powers and I can't get it off."

"We'll work on that as soon we're on the ground." Tony assured her.

Skye nodded, knowing that was probably the safest plan. She wasn't sure how she'd react after having access to her powers for the first time in two weeks and she wanted to be in the safety of the "Hulk Room" when that happened.

* * *

"Why did you pull the trigger?" Skye asked Natasha later. She'd excused herself from Steve's embrace so that she could talk to her friend privately. "I was about to do it."

"I know." Natasha told her. "But taking a life isn't an easy thing and while I know you can do it, it's different when it's someone you once loved. I didn't want you to have to carry that burden."

Skye paused, considering her friend's words.

"I was ready to kill him," She protested, but at the same time she wondered if Natasha was right. She had been ready to kill Ward and she had every confidence that she could have pulled the trigger, but it wouldn't have been easy.

Even seeing him dead on that ground had hit her harder than she'd thought it would. Her first emotion had been relief, because now there was no way he could ever come after her again, but… There had been a tiny bit of sorrow, for the man she'd believed Ward to be. The man she'd loved.

Or the man that she'd thought she'd loved. Her feelings for Ward couldn't hold a candle to her feelings for Steve and now that she knew what real love was, she realized that her feelings for Ward had more to do with attraction and the desire to finally belong. Ward had fed off that desire and she'd come to believe that he was one of the first people to really to care about her, plus she'd been drawn to the fact that he was damaged, tempted by the idea that she could be the one to fix him. That together they could have the type of happiness that had always alluded them both and that wasn't a healthy basis for a relationship. She knew that now.

Still, she **had** cared about him and she had to believe that, underneath the madness, he'd cared about her too. And, because of that, she did feel some unexpected grief at his death and the fact that it had to end like this. So maybe Natasha had been right to spare her the burden of doing it herself.

"Thank you." She said after a long moment.

"Anything for you," The redhead told her, "Just don't scare us like that again."

"I won't." Skye promised.

She looked around the plane at the familiar faces. All of whom had happily walked into enemy territory for her. And from what Natasha had said earlier, she guessed that there had been quite the scuffle over who got to go.

If anything good had come out of her kidnapping it was that it had made her realize that the Tower had become her home and the Avengers her family. She had never doubted that they would be looking for her or that they would do whatever they could to bring her home. After all this time, she'd finally found her place in the world.


	44. Chapter 45: Inner Power

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer and Notes in Chapter One._

Chapter Forty-Five: Inner Power

"Skye!"

"Jemma!"

Skye ran into her friends arms and hugged her tightly and then as soon as Jemma released her, the others were there, waiting for their turn. Soon Skye had been hugged multiple times. It was overwhelming, but she was so happy to see everyone, and to know that she was home.

Coulson was last.

"You're safe." He said, obviously reassuring himself.

"I am." She told him. "And I promise not to get kidnapped. Again." This made three times now, but all by the same person and since Ward was dead, maybe she'd be a less desirable target. Of course her father was still out there and there was a possibility that having paid his debt to Steve, Doom might try to make her his broodmare again, but she'd worry about those things later.

He nodded and pulled her close for a tight hug and then released her quickly.

Skye smiled at him and then turned at the sound of her name.

"Skye, we should probably go downstairs." Bruce told her, a look of concern on his face. "We need to get that bracelet off of you."

She nodded, though she was a little terrified of what would happen. For two weeks, her powers had been shut off, what would happen when they flicked the switch and turned them back on?

Still, she followed Bruce to the elevator. Everyone else hung back thankfully, obviously realizing that she would want privacy. Only Tony and Steve accompanied them and Skye held onto Steve's hand during the elevator ride, though she knew that she couldn't cling to him for long. This was a situation she had to deal with all by herself.

Once they were outside the Hulk Room, Bruce put his hand on Steve's arm to stop him from following Skye inside.

"You and I should wait out here." Bruce advised him. "Tony has to go in there because we need to cut off her bracelet, but he'll be in his suit, which should minimize any fallout."

Steve looked conflicted.

"I don't want to risk hurting anyone." Skye told him. "I wish Tony didn't have to be in there."

After a moment Steve nodded and squeezed her hand. "You can do this." He told her.

"Just focus on what we've practiced," Bruce advised, "Ride the wave instead of trying to repress it."

"I'll try." Skye said, reaching for the door. A moment later she and Tony entered the room and a second later he was cutting the cuff off with some device that Fitz had designed for this purpose. Tony had called ahead and explained the problem and Fitz, with Mack's help, had gone straight to work and it had been ready by the time they landed.

As soon as the bracelet was off, Skye could feel her powers bubbling to the surface and she knew the room was shaking, Tony seemed to be struggling not get caught in the wave. It was like that first quake in San Juan, yet, Skye knew it didn't have to be. She'd come a long way since then, she understood her powers and she'd gained some control.

Skye focused on calming the waves and soon the mental pressure let up. She felt a hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see Tony grinning at her.

"Nice job," he told her and she realized that there was no more shaking. Somehow she had managed to control it. A moment later Steve and Brue entered the room and she could see that they both looked impressed.

"That was great, Skye." Bruce told her. "You were able to regain control much faster than I expected."

"I guess all those lessons are paying off," Skye told him, "I just focused on staying calm and staying in control and the pressure went down." She had learnt to hone her powers over the last several months, but deep down she had still been terrified of losing control. So it was amazing to be able to face a situation where losing control would have been normal and not do it.

She knew that this didn't meant she'd **never** lose control, but it showed how far she had come. She no longer had to be afraid of herself.

"I knew you could do it," Steve told her, "And now you should rest."

"Rest, huh?" Tony teased. "I'm not sure that would be my first instinct after two weeks apart, but to each their own."

Skye ignored him and smiled at Steve. "That sounds nice."

In the few days between their engagement and her kidnapping, Steve had moved his stuff to her apartment, leaving his old one for Bucky. At the time, Skye had laughed, remembering Steve's disappointment when she'd moved into the apartment he'd hoped Bucky would one day occupy. It was funny how perfectly it had worked out.

But that wasn't worth more than a passing though now. At that moment, all she was thinking about was how much she wanted to go up to their apartment and see her things and be in her space with Steve and reassure herself that she was really home.


	45. Chapter 46: Happily Ever After

Awakening Quake  
By Misha

_Disclaimer in Chapter One._

_A.N- This is it, the final chapter of "Awakening Quake". As I was writing the last few chapters it occurred to me how it should end. I know there are a few things left open and I'm sorry to any Bucky and Jemma fans for not going into more detail, but if the right plot bunny hatches I am willing to go back to this world and write a sequel. However, this was the right place to end Skye's journey, which is what this story was all about. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this story, I really appreciate it. This is a great fandom and I'm so happy to be part of it._

Chapter Forty-Six: Happily Ever After

"Marry me." Steve said later when they were curled up together in their bed after a very satisfying reunion. Skye was happy to just soak in the feel of him, of just being with him like this.

"You already asked me that remember," Skye teased, "And I said yes."

"I want you to marry me now." Steve told her, taking her hand in his. "Tomorrow, as soon as Tony can arrange it."

"Ok." Skye said without hesitation. She didn't want a big wedding and since the S.H.I.E.L.D team was still at the Tower, everyone she loved would be there. That was all she needed.

Steve grinned and pulled her towards him for a passionate kiss. Skye responded eagerly. She had spent weeks dreaming about him and it felt so wonderful to be in his arms again.

To Skye's surprise, Steve broke the kiss before it go any further. "The next time we make love, I want you to be my wife." He told her sincerely.

Skye groaned a little, out of frustration, but at the same time, she was touched by the sentiment.

"I guess, if we're going to get married as soon as possible, we should let the others know and start organizing it." She said after a moment, knowing that while she could succeed in keeping the guest list intimate, there was no way she would be able to convince Tony to keep it simple.

* * *

She was right. After they joined the others and announced their intention to get married immediately, Tony and Pepper jumped into action.

"Just because we're doing this quickly, doesn't mean we can't do it right." Pepper told her. "You'll be amazed by how fast money can makes things happen."

At that point, Skye found herself dragged off towards Pepper and Tony's apartment, with the other women following along.

The next few hours were a blur. Pepper had ordered several dresses to be delivered immediately and Skye tried them on, finally settling on a simple, but classic, gown. Pepper had also ordered dresses for Jemma to try on, since she would be Skye's Maid of Honor and they quickly picked a lovely blue one.

Tony was taking care of the rest of the details, which was both reassuring and terrifying. Skye tried not to imagine what he would come up with, instead she focused on the fact that the next day she would be marrying Steve. That was all that mattered.

Plus, apparently she was having a last-minute bachelorette party, which would also help keep her mind off the details.

"We'll just stay in and drink," Natasha assured her.

Skye was relieved. She felt more secure with Ward dead, but at the same time the last time they'd gone out to girl's night, she'd ended up being held hostage by a super-villain. It was enough to make a girl nervous.

"You'll sleep here tonight," Pepper told her, "That way Steve doesn't see you until you walk down the aisle."

Skye smiled. It seemed old-fashioned, but then so was her groom, and it was actually sweet. Besides, with the lives they all lived, it was okay to be a little superstitious.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Coulson asked Skye the next day, just before the ceremony was about to start. He had happily agreed to walk her down the aisle. Jemma had stepped away to give them a moment of privacy.

"I am." Skye told him.

"Good." Coulson smiled. "He's a good man, Skye, I couldn't have picked better if I tried."

"I know." Skye said with a laugh, thinking about how Coulson had once hero-worshipped Steve. "Though I'm sure this wasn't you had it mind when you sent me here."

"No," Coulson agreed, "All I was thinking about was getting you the help you needed."

"And you did," Skye told him softly. "As much as I loved being part of your team, it wasn't what I needed anymore. This was. This is the life I needed and I'm so grateful that you made it possible. You gave me my first real home and then when I needed something, you found it for me."

Coulson looked suspiciously teary-eyed, but before he could say anything else, Jemma stepped forward.

"I think if we don't go out there, Steve's going to start worrying that you changed your mind," She said gently.

Skye nodded and a moment later, she and Coulson were walking down the make-shift aisle.

Tony had gone all out, just like Skye expected. Decorators had worked all night creating the perfect space for the ceremony and for the small reception to follow. There might have only been a total of 20 guests, including the bride and groom, but it still had all the traditional wedding trappings.

As they walked down the aisle, Skye took in the sight of her family and friends, both S.H.I.E.L.D and Avengers and smiled. It felt right to seem them all together and she had hope that the future would bring more collaboration between the two teams. She took note of the way Bucky, the best man, of course, was watching Jemma, and knew that she wasn't the only who would enjoy having the S.H.I.E.L.D team around more.

After a moment they reached the end of the alter and suddenly Skye wasn't think about anything but Steve. He looked devastatingly handsome in his tuxedo and a part of her still couldn't believe that he was waiting for _her._

"Take care of her," Coulson told Steve as he placed Skye's hand in Steve's and there was a definite threat behind his words.

"I will," Steve promised and then he turned to look at Skye and the look in his eyes took her breath away. In his eyes she could see a promise of love and devotion and the wonderful future that they would have. This was what she had been searching for her entire life.

This was her happy ending.

The End


End file.
